<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Maybe the true treasure were the tacos (kisses) we found (received) after all by gayboatoars (Venn_Rumax)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27184864">Maybe the true treasure were the tacos (kisses) we found (received) after all</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venn_Rumax/pseuds/gayboatoars'>gayboatoars (Venn_Rumax)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Among the Stars (we're streaking through the night sky) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Among Us (Video Game), Offline TV - Fandom, Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>All-knowing Toast, Alternate Universe - Among Us (Video Game) Setting, Anxiety, Anxious CorpseHusband, Crewmate Sykkuno, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Forehead Kisses, Grief/Mourning, Holding Hands, Imposter CorpseHusband, Light Angst, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Other, Protective Toast, Rae and Poki being nosy and respectful simultaneously, Semi-Oblivious Sykkuno, Sykkuno loves his tacos, Toastkkuno moments because they are best bros, and Corpse likes Sykkuno, and his omnipresent symbiote buddy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 03:28:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>28,615</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27184864</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Venn_Rumax/pseuds/gayboatoars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Corpse listens to Sykkuno mumble under his breath a little as he shuffles in his sleep. A rush of fondness surges through him, he can't help but smile. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse doesn't let himself overthink; he pulls down his mask and presses a kiss to Sykkuno's forehead.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Or; Another Among Us Corpsekkuno AU no one asked for.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Corpse Husband &amp; Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF), Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Among the Stars (we're streaking through the night sky) [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984804</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>73</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>562</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Introduction</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Please read the official disclaimer for this work <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984804">here!</a></p><p>if you skipped the disclaimer, just know that this work is recommended on mobile for the full experience!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>tw: anxiety attack brought about by Corpse's symbiote, please proceed with caution!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The snow crunched silently under his foot as Syykuno plodded his way through the rocky plains in his bulky spacesuit, or as he'd like to imagine the crisp sounds in his head.</p><p>The spacesuits issued to them weren't installed to pick up sounds from the environment, messages mostly coming from their earpieces and tablets only. Other than proximity bluetooth signals for crewmates to communicate with each other verbally when their signal waves overlapped, Sykkuno felt incredibly lonely in the all-enveloping silence of his helmet and the thoughts in his head. </p><p>Sykkuno shook his head, slapping his cheeks while walking towards the tall rock structure coming into focus to snap himself out of his funk. Space has no time for depressive thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>"Guys, it's super rocky out, you wanna be real careful here." Sykkuno nods to himself, hasting his pace as a soft blue glow made itself apparent on the path in front of him. Stopping in front of the weather node and unlocking his assigned tablet to sync the two electronics together, Sykkuno continues to mumble into his microphone in his helmet.</p><p>"See this weather temperature thing? It helps us get data about the climate on this planet to see if it can sustain human civilizations."</p><p>Sykkuno feels a puff of air escape from his mouth unbidden as the successful sync pop-up of the weather node startles him, breaking his train of thought.</p><p>He recollected his thoughts and focused on the task at hand, retracing the flow of electricity from one end to another and lets the statistics and recordings fill his tablet screen, careful not to hit 'cancel' on the top left. Subsequently, his earpiece chirps brightly, <em> 'Rerouting complete.' </em></p><p>Stashing his tablet away after a quick glance to ensure the weather node has indeed been properly rerouted, Sykkuno fished out his standard-issue toolkit set which was stored in one of his pastel green pouches. Sykkuno selects the largest screwdriver and proceeds to bend down towards a small panel at the base of the weather node, continuing his earlier narration while unscrewing.</p><p>"When MIRA updated their systems a couple of years ago, they forgot to include the weather nodes' codes into the newer digital syncing system. To reactivate the node back at the laboratory, we have to know which code our assigned node has. It's in the back of the access panel that covers the older manual rerouting systems."</p><p>Sykkuno carefully clenches the four screws in his left palm and pinches his screwdriver awkwardly between his left forefinger and thumb. With his right hand now free, he clumsily picks up the access panel and turns it around to see the back. Under the soft glow of the coils around the node, engraved into the metal is an abbreviation, 'Node_MLG' and a smaller 'MIRA' below it.</p><p>Satisfied, Sykkuno places the access panel back with slightly more grace than before and returns the screws to their respective holes before securing them into place.</p><p> </p><p>"That's another task done guys! So far I have only done three and one of them is just swiping my admin card..." Despite not having any audience listen to his ramblings, Sykkuno still feels his neck heat in his spacesuit, huffing sheepishly into the microphone as he turns the last screw in place.</p><p>"To be honest, I'm still not used to being alone like this. It's different from streaming because at least someone's out there, listening. These are just audio logs for my career as a crewmate."</p><p>Sykkuno lifted himself off the ground, a soft whoosh of breath leaving his mouth as a slight numbness made itself apparent in his feet. He'd been squatting a little longer than his body had liked and now the soles of his feet felt like he was walking on a bed of needles.</p><p>He gives his body time to adjust, opening the toolkit pouch to return the screwdriver in and then sliding the pouch back into his sling bag. Sykkuno peers into the recesses of his bag to look at the time on his tablet. "Oh, poop. It's kinda already too late to go back to the  office for lunch."</p><p>Normally, this didn't bother Sykkuno too much but a distant memory of a voice floated in his brain and he pressed a hand to his helmet visor in regret. "Toast promised me tacos today too! Oh poop, man." Sykkuno laments as he wrangles his hands miserably. He most certainly should have dropped by the office when he passed by it at the start of their two-hour lunch break, especially after Poki exited the office and tried to drag him along with her.</p><p>Sykkuno always has his trusty granola bars and packets of freeze-dried cereal and fruits in his sling bag, but the lost promise of a freshly made taco in his mouth after weeks of soggy rehydrated food made him slightly sad.</p><p>"It's okay guys, maybe Toast will make one for me during dinner if I ask nicely enough." Sykkuno quirked a smile to the tiny camera fixed to the left side of his visor, out of habit more than anything.</p><p>The urge to brush his bangs resurfaced before he remembered that his helmet was in the way and dropped his rising arm back to the side of his body. A wave of homesickness came over him and he felt a knot catch in his chest.</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno let loose a sigh and let his arm curl around his waist forlornly. After three years in space and almost two years in the MIRA Space Training Programme (STP), you'd think he would have gotten over something as simple as being homesick. However, Sykkuno is still conscientiously catching himself from brushing his bangs or scratching his chin, an old nervous habit, or reminiscing about Bimbus, his dog back on earth when he fell in love and adopted her at twenty-three.</p><p>He left Bimbus with his grandmother and she still send him photos of them together every other day. Sykkuno misses earth and the things he left behind so much it hurts sometimes.</p><p>'At least Toast's here with me.' Sykkuno thinks, humming a general tune as he shifts his hands to hold onto the strap of his sling bag, determinedly shoving his homesickness deep into the box in his mind he labelled for feelings <em>'to be dealt with later'</em>.</p><p>"Life in space still goes on like life on earth, you still have to move and do your work and live."</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels an odd lump press into his thigh through his bag and spacesuit when he begins to make his way towards the laboratory. He frowns. "Oh, what's this?" Sykkuno digs through his bag as he slowly walked his way beside the giant rock structure, left hand occasionally brushing against the rock to ensure he wasn't going to stray off the path into a crater.</p><p>It didn't take long to find the oddly shaped zip-locked package in his bag, slightly disfigured from being roughly nudged about. Sykkuno felt his tablet chime and his earpiece informed him of <em>'Six new messages from two chats'</em>.</p><p> </p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> Hey Sykkuno! Hope you got your lil' surprise!</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> Thank me with a juice box later okay? ヽ(´▽`)/</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> Toast asked <strike>intimidated</strike> me to give it to you （ノ´∀｀）ノ</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> Should have listened to me now yeah &lt;3</p><p> </p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞 (Toast):</b> Knew you'd forget again, Sykkuno. Do eat soon.</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞 (Toast):</b> Don't expect this to be a recurring thing; I can only afford to show so much kindness in my life x)</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels the knot in his chest loosen as he laughs into his helmet, breaths fogging the glass as his unoccupied hand habitually presses against the lower half of his visor to block his mouth. He brought the package to eye level eagerly, silently chiding himself for not recognising it sooner. Of course, it was Toast's signature taco!</p><p><em>'I'm so lucky to have such good friends.'</em> Sykkuno smiled dizzyingly as he held the taco package closely to his chest, footsteps falling faster and a renewed vigour in his stride as he travelled down the path.</p><p> </p><p>Space might have no time for him, but he's not going to let that deter him from making time for himself and his taco.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>╔ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ╗</p><p>𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎: ■■■□□□□□</p><p>╚ ═ ═ ═ ═ 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙿𝙾𝟹𝟽-𝚆𝙷𝙸-𝙿𝟻 ═ ═ ═ ═ ╝</p><p>𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙴𝚊𝚜𝚝</p><p>𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎: 𝟷𝟺𝚑𝚛 𝟷𝟸𝚖 𝟺𝟽𝚜, 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸</p><p>𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎: 𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 [𝙻𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢] 𝚝𝚘 [𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚍𝚎]. <b>(𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎)</b></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p><em>Humans were fickle creatures</em>; Corpse's symbiote had decided as they both watched their teammate Valkyrae mutter furiously under her breath as she eyed the items in their dropship's vending machine. The hallway was quiet save for the soft whirring of the said vending machine in the poorly-lit environment and Valkyrae's spacesuit shuffling against its folds. The fluorescent bulbs also made crackling noises for a quarter of a second every time the lights flickered, but it's not like the crewmates would know.</p><p>It's not like they had heightened senses like it, <em> they</em>, did.</p><p>However, Corpse's earpiece told him a contrasting story to the silence surrounding them. Valkyrae was a storm of frantic warnings (<em> "Corpse, for fuck's sake, you better not kill me here." </em> ), to expressing her frustrations ( <em> "Why the fuck can't I decide on simple things like what drink I want to have, gosh." </em> ) and her dry sarcasm ( <em> "This is where I'll be found, dead from the frustration of being indecisive; I always thought I'd die in a nicer place, in a nicer outfit and hairdo, not in this scandalously unfashionable spacesuit and this dark, dingy hallway. Gosh, my reputation will be ruined, I can't even die in peace." </em>).</p><p>This crew was quirky in an intriguing way that his symbiote never experienced before but then again, their resume is only about two missions long. On a similar vein, the crewmates of this batch were very closely bonded with each other prior to this assigned crew, which may explain the lack of clinical formality present in many of MIRA's co-workers. People were very startlingly complex when they wanted to be.</p><p> </p><p>Corpse manually connected his bluetooth signal to Valkyrae's and remarked coolly, "This would be a piss-poor place to be found dead, yes." Hearing Rae's startled shriek through his comms as she jumped made him wince behind his mask. She placed a hand on her chest and exclaimed loudly. "Shit Corpse, you could hear me all this time?"</p><p>Corpse tapped the side of his helmet and replied, "you forgot you had auto bluetooth pairing on? Proximity signal is on too, please spare me." Valkyrae randomly jabbed at a button on the vending machine in defeat and sighed into her microphone. "This will be useful if the damn imposters kill me while other crewmates are nearby, trust me. I'll be screeching my head off."</p><p>She bent down to pick up her selected drink from the bottom. "Who knows how else we're gonna detect anything at all. Manual pairing means someone could be murdered right behind me and I wouldn't be able to hear them in danger."</p><p>Corpse hummed under his breath in consideration at this new perspective. "Pros and cons, Rae, pros and cons. I prefer my privacy."</p><p>Valkyrae makes a 'you do you' expression and proceeds to toss her drink up and down in her hand as she doubled back towards the drop platform, Corpse trailing behind her hurried footsteps. "Thanks for not murdering me here, yeah. We're probably behind maintenance tasks already; we need to catch up with the rest."</p><p>"Right, tasks." Corpse nodded slowly, swiping to unlock his assigned tablet. The sabotage malware Wendy had programmed into their corrupted crewmate tablets made a fake list of tasks pop out on his screen and Corpse squints at them through his helmet visor. Huh, Monitor Tree, that's a new one.</p><p><em> They </em> consult his map to plan a convincing route to fake doing tasks. </p><p> </p><p>The light hissing of Valkyrae taking off her helmet, her throat gulping down the carton of orange juice and the shifting of her spacesuit were all audible to Corpse as they paused by the vacuum wall reconnecting them to the drop platform. Corpse ignore them, knowing too well that these little details could give them both away.</p><p> </p><p>"I think I'm going to proceed to chart course first, then swing by Electrical to do wires and walk down to O² to fill oxygen canisters and... Monitor Tree?" Corpse sends a questioning glance at Rae, who is efficiently compressing her carton and placing it into her standard-issue waste container. She peers over to read the tasks on his tablet. How she reads so quickly and efficiently despite the words being upside down still remains a mystery to Corpse.</p><p>"Yeah, that's exclusive to Polus," her voice a bit wobbly as she sloshes the juice in her mouth, voice clearing as the remaining juice slides down her throat. "It's in a gigantic greenhouse built specifically around it to supply oxygen and refill our space canisters, plus it also helps monitor life sustainability and conditions on Polus for future human settlements. I think."</p><p>Corpse is impressed and vocalises it. Valkyrae only gives a nonchalant one-shouldered shrug as she checks the oxygen stability and safety systems in her helmet functions. "This knowledge is nothing impressive, I'll tell you that. If anyone can truly geek out on you about the big tree, it's Sykkuno." She shook her head affectionately as she put on her helmet again.</p><p>"He majored in 'Space Sustainability and Adaptability: Food Sciences' when we were in the MIRA Space Training Programme together. I chose to take the 'Outerspace Security and Vigilance: Offensive and Defensive' course, which is why you always see me with Hippo in the front of the ship." Valkyrae gives a fierce, passionate grin that makes a shiver go down Corpse's spine.</p><p>"We assess approaching dangers such as meteors and then decide if we pull up shields for defence or deploy the plasma light guns for offence."</p><p>Corpse feels shame bubble in his guts, his rougher 'education' seemingly inadequate when stacked against all the professional training the rest of the crew has to boast. Valkyrae seems to notice this and her face softens as she backpedals, "I might still have a few textbooks from my STP days, I don't mind digging them out for you."</p><p>Corpse shakes these feelings off and tips his head to Rae in acknowledgement. "It's alright, I didn't really get along with theory anyway."</p><p> </p><p>Valkyrae clears her throat as she shuffles on the spot, before flicking the oxygen supply switch on the wall to 'vacant'. She smiles apologetically at Corpse and gestures towards the platform. "All the best on this new map."</p><p>Corpse pauses, staring at Rae for a beat, long enough for the tension in the space between them tangible. He then proceeds to flick the forehead of her helmet teasingly, receiving a yelp and a fearsome pout directed at him from within.</p><p><em>'You're forgiven',</em> Corpse hopes the message goes through.</p><p>What he opts to say instead is, "you too, even if you've been here twice before."</p><p>Valkyrae smiled widely and they both stepped out into the platform, air vacuum wall whooshing loudly in Corpse's ears.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p><em> Fuck this shit. </em> Corpse concludes viciously as he repeatedly tries to trace his miniature spaceship through the guided blueprint, his previously cheerful mood ruined. Valkyrae had smirked as she watched Corpse struggle with his tablet, telling him something along the lines of <em>'at least one crewmate struggles with charting'</em> before exiting unceremoniously out of the drop platform, leaving his sorry ass behind.</p><p>Corpse closes his tablet and takes a deep breath, resisting the urge to just hurl the offending electronic onto the syncing pad mounted onto the wall. He remembers the last time he smashed a glass in the dormitories, the onslaught of panic from the one person who didn't leave with the rest for drinks and came down to a mess of glass in the kitchen and a slightly hysterical Corpse. Corpse feels his heart clench with something familiar as of recent months but still unplaced while recalling the events from four months prior, events he's not so proud of.</p><p> </p><p><em> The bloodlust surged again, the vicious overwhelming hunger-like feeling gnawing Corpse's guts as he stood over the kitchen counter, knuckles turning white as he clenches the handle of his mug. </em> His symbiote <em> watched the shadows dance on the countertop, the lights from the door hallway the only source of illumination. A rain check on drinks had to be called this evening; Corpse knows all too well if </em> it <em> hung out in a sweaty club full of inebriated humans, they'd spontaneously combust into their true form and devour people viciously, giving them both away. </em></p><p><em> Corpse still doesn't understand their biology, the need to feed absent despite their bloodlust towards humans. </em> They <em> can sustain themselves perfectly fine with the organic substances humans consumed but the urge to spear someone on </em> its <em> skewer-like tongue felt like a roaring tsunami in Corpse's mind, battering against his weakened will. </em></p><p>
  <em> Corpse watches his body like a spirit hovering over his physical shoulder, watches his hands tremble from clenching his mug with a white X on its smooth inky ceramic. Corpse feels helpless watching his own body, his heart tugging on motor and nerve endings but his brain's frozen, eyes now fixated on the glass cup sitting near the corner of the kitchen island. </em>
</p><p><em> The only thing almost controlling his body is this insurmountable craving for blood, to maim and torture, though Corpse knows he does need this physical release before </em> they <em> expose themself even before its mission starts. He struggles with </em> it <em> before he stops fighting </em> them <em> , voluntarily lets his body pick up the glass and lets </em> them <em> put it against his mask to give it a kiss.</em></p><p>'Sometimes, life just hits you in the face like a stone against glass,' <em>Corpse reflects, numb as he feels his arm tense up, readying itself for the next action. </em>'All you can do is break and make things work out.' <em> Corpse could almost feel the clarity of </em><em>coolness glass brought against his perpetually covered cheek.</em></p><p><em> The shattering of glass had never felt more satisfying to </em> their <em> ears.</em></p><p>
  <em> Corpse feels his body shake with tension as his ears rang with the crisp shattering noise, feels like a lifeline's been pulled but strained at the same time as his body relaxes and tenses up all at once, too much and not enough stimulus. The week's events crawled up and tugged at his ankles, the lack of sleep, the ever-present pain in his throat, the exhaustion of human interaction and it hurts, he implodes. </em>
</p><p><em> Corpse feels his breaking point crossed, his nerves snapped as his body crouches beside the glass, feels his eyes water and hands tremble, nails digging into his thighs. </em><em>He- </em> They <em> wants to cry and scream and break and hurt—</em></p><p><em> He distantly hears a soft thump, light plodding of sock-clad feet against the wooden floor growing louder and louder as someone approached but Corpse couldn't lift his head, couldn't stop the crescents being embedded into his skin and the shaking. </em>"Um, I heard a noise— Oh god! Who, what— Corpse! C-Corpse, what happened? Are you o-okay? Corpse?"</p><p>
  <em> Hands gently shaking his shoulders, warmth seeping through the thin white shirt he was wearing as a body kneels next to his. He sees Sykkuno's helpless and shocked staring at the scene in his mind's eye, knows the man's eyes are darting everywhere around the room, taking in the mess and feels pale hands tremble against his frame despite being the one trying to comfort him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Corpse knows the bloodlust is gone, seeing as Sykkuno's proximity hasn't resulted in him being headless, but his body is still shaking, nails relentlessly digging as Sykkuno's voice swims above him, distorted and stumbling over words. </em>
</p><p><em> Corpse's symbiote wonders why human bodies are so fragile, why his feelings are so tangible and why </em> they <em> start to feel the strain of it in </em> their <em> brain and heart. </em></p><p>They <em> hate that </em> they've <em> too begun to care, for the bad things and the good. </em></p><p> </p><p>Corpse sighs and refocused on his task at hand, finally tracing his way through the asteroid shower on the blueprint to reach their next mission planet. Turns out his previous routes were all too risky to take, whatever the fuck that meant. This poor rendition of actual space and routing couldn't trigger his skills for piloting, which he fully blames MIRA for making it so bad.</p><p>
  <em> 'No wonder MIRA had to make auto-piloting a thing. This charting doesn't teach shit.' </em>
</p><p>Finally done 'finishing' his charting, Corpse and his symbiote turn around to face the plains of Polus. The time to execute <em> its </em> mission has come and <em> they </em> fully blames themself for falling so hard down the rabbit hole, as humans would call it. Corpse doesn't want to murder the people he's grown to feel attachment for, knows its the first sign of weakness but Corpse has already acknowledged that <em> they </em> and him both don't give two shits about biology or responsibility.</p><p>Wendy has been growing distant from Corpse, not being as attached to this crew as <em> they </em> were and disapproving of their choices. She had already left the dropship, heels hot behind Pokimane and Toast with her dagger pressed against her thigh. Corpse symbiote knows because Wendy didn't like being a savage, as she called it, preferring more 'humane' tactics to kill crewmates. </p><p>Corpse thinks she, <em> it's </em> all bullshit because in the end lives are ended anyway, it doesn't matter how they go. Also, since when did Wendy even care about being viewed as a savage?</p><p><em>'Maybe Wendy's becoming more human than she thinks.'</em> Corpse's symbiote snorts as Corpse makes his way towards the Laboratory, wanting to scope out the area. He knows Polus is huge, and the crewmates are lucky if they finish their tasks in three days (or insanely efficient, but he highly doubts it with this crew) whereas The Skeld only takes about two days at most. </p><p><em> They </em> resolutely deny the idea that <em> they </em> may be stalling; it's not like <em> they </em> have sufficient energy to change into <em> its </em> true form yet, thank you very much. <em> It </em> also wants to have an idea of the place, knowing the map isn't quite the same and <em> they really </em> wants to know all the isolated spots for a good hiding spot, sue <em> it </em>, alright?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Corpse doesn't know how long he's been crouched beside the carnage of glass, nor the time it takes for him to stop shaking. In this moment, he's only tracking time by the smooth flow of Sykkuno's voice, despite it being distended like he's underwater until slowly, the words gradually become audible.  </em>
</p><p>"--oast was like, 'Sykkuno, Poki's going to explode the microwave again, please stop her with your, um, anime protagonist voice.' Uh, thanks... I guess? Haha... Uh, Poki coined that phrase, by the way."</p><p>"Talk about yourself for a bit," <em> Corpse's voice is hoarse, and he feels Sykkuno jolts in surprise and retracts his hands from where they were resting. Corpse hadn't even realised he missed the body warmth from Sykkuno's hands until the contact points were absent. </em></p><p><em> The apparent relief was audible in Sykkuno's voice as the man slowly inches his body away from the glass. </em> "Corpse! Are you hurt anywhere?" <em> Hands hovering over his skin again, wanting to comfort but afraid to touch, seeming to remember the last time Corpse had unwanted contact against his skin.  </em></p><p><em> Corpse feels his heart twist at Sykkuno's attentiveness and resists the urge to chase after the warmth of his hands. </em> </p><p>"I'm fine. You've been talking about other people; I'm sure. Tell—" <em> Corpse clears his throat as something caught in it. </em> "Tell me about yourself." </p><p><em> Sykkuno stuttered weakly, hands twisting as he mumbles. </em> "Well, um, I was playing a game just now? I like playing games for fun and um, I-I don't— I'm really boring..." </p><p> </p><p><em> A silence came over them and Corpse sees Sykkuno awkwardly scratch his cheek in his peripheral vision. </em> "Hey, Sykkuno." "Um— Yes, Corpse?" </p><p>"Someone asked me the other day, <em> 'what's your perspective on life?' </em> " <em> He knows that Sykkuno must be tilting his head lightly, then promptly ignores the fact that he knows this. </em> "Like, if you're a glass half full or glass half empty kinda guy, right?" </p><p>"R-Right... " <em> Corpse knows Sykkuno's listening, he always is. </em> "I took some time to seriously think over it, you know? It was a really good question and I've found my answer." </p><p>
  <em> Corpse hears the stifling quiet from the lack of humans and an empty dorm, feels the shuffling and folding of clothes as Sykkuno moves, a thin whining sound still ringing in his ears, a white silence that speaks for itself.</em>
</p><p>"What is it? What's your answer?" <em> Sykkuno's hand leans hesitantly on the tiled floor next to his thigh and Corpse feels the urge to hold it between his own. Sykkuno's voice washes over him much more clearly now and Corpse feels his muscles finally relax, his body sagging against Sykkuno's more lithe frame. </em></p><p><em> He feels Sykkuno stiffen at the contact first and watches a hand awkwardly hover above his own legs before finally settling itself down on Corpse's knee. Corpse opens his mouth and lets the words roll over his tongue into Sykkuno's shoulder. </em> </p><p>"I say, <em> 'Fuck the goddamn glass.' </em> "</p><p> </p><p>"Oh." Corpse paused at the exit, realisation dawning on him like a wall of bricks. That unplaced feeling that he has gradually let himself associate Sykkuno with, Corpse thinks he can name it now.</p><p>Corpse lets out a breath slowly and counts to ten before he promptly proceeds to bury his head into his hands and laughs weakly in despair. "Oh, I am <em> so </em> fucked."</p><p><em> Corpse's symbiote brainwaved him a sensation of amusement. </em> </p><p> </p><p>"For the record, Sykkuno, you're not boring. I think you're very interesting." <em> Corpse felt his throat close into itself as he watched the flush crawl above the neckline of Sykkuno's sweatshirt under the soft lighting of the hallway. </em> "I, um, thank you? I-I think you're very interesting too, Corpse! You're very cool." <em> Sykkuno nods assuringly as he rubbed his elbow with a breathless huff, face turned toward the hallway. </em></p><p>
  <em> Corpse wants to see Sykkuno's face in this moment despite being the one whose face is covered, in spite of the fact that he does not deserve that privilege at all. Corpse wants to know if the flush goes all the way up to his cheeks, if he looks the same way when Poki and Rae tease Sykkuno about his voice or if it's different, of what that might imply.  </em>
</p><p>"Thank you for, you know, being very chill about this." <em> Corpse weakly waves his hand around at the glass on the floor and at himself as the self-awareness crept up on him and their situation. Sykkuno lifts his hand from his knee to wave them in the air and Corpse barely manages to stop his knee from jerking up to chase its heat.  </em></p><p>"No, no! It's no trouble; Everyone has bad days, after all! I, um, if you ever want to talk you can uh, talk to me... Only if you're comfortable, though! I-" </p><p> </p><p><em> Corpse takes a leap of faith, places his hand on Sykkuno's moving ones. </em> "Hey." <em> Sykkuno stops, eyes widening and Corpse lets himself meet Sykkuno's eyes and smiles, as sincerely as he can express himself behind a mask.  </em></p><p>"I don't mind at all. You can talk to me if you want too, whenever, about whatever." </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I always want to talk with you; I want to know so much more about you. </em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>╔ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ╗</p><p>𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎: ■□□□□□□□</p><p>╚ ═ ═ ═ ═ 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎: P̘͎̀͊O̵̷̪̰ͩ͆ͅ3̵̷̧̗͙̰̽̋͟7̨͈͇̙̤ͩ͜-B̟̈́̆̐̄̚͜L̳͈͉̅̊Ȧ̶̵̗̳-P̘͎̀͊7̨͈͇̙̤ͩ ═ ═ ═ ═ ╝</p><p>𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙳𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙</p><p>𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎: 𝟶𝟽𝚑𝚛 𝟺𝟼𝚖 𝟹𝟷𝚜, 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷</p><p>𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎: 𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 [E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧc̨̨̣̮̝̈́̔ͯ̀͂t͖͖̠̬͛ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟c̨̨̣̮̝̈́̔ͯ̀͂a͔͔̜̗̦ͩ̅̎l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘] 𝚝𝚘 [f̰̰̯͕͊̃̊͞͞͞i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟x͕͕͚͍̿̆͂͞ w̡̻̻̣͚̒̀ͅi̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧs̨̞̞̰͎͎̪̩͕̈́̀ͯ̍ͧͅ] </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you want around 15k words of buildup to one singular forehead kiss between Corpse &amp; Sykkuno do stay around xo</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Minor Conflict I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>tw: minor character deaths &amp; graphic imposter ejection imagery + emotionally distressed people + mild panic attack from being emotionally distressed(?) <br/>^ please proceed with caution!!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Remember me saying 15k last chapter? Correction, we're having 18k+ words of buildup/slow burn instead :D<br/>+<br/>I got super hyped by y'alls support that I released this a lil' earlier ;D but my upload schedule will be every four days from this chapter onwards!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Corpse steps out of his shared room with Ludwig for the fifth time this week, mentally reminding himself that he really needs to get his sleep schedule up to speed. </em>
</p><p><em>The lights in the lounge are off, but Corpse's ears pick up shuffling and movement as he moves closer.</em> </p><p>"Oh, hey Sykkuno," <em>Corpse greets as he steps into the common room, watches Sykkuno jolt his head in his direction.</em> "Oh, um, hello Corpse..." <em>Sykkuno awkwardly nods his head as Corpse lets himself into the kitchen, observes from the corner of his eye the fidgeting on the sofa as he pours himself water. It had been about a fortnight since their last solo interaction and Corpse can still feel the phantom touch on his knee. </em></p><p>"So, insomnia as well?" <em>The light trickling of water into his mug tinkled melodiously in the silence of the night; Corpse feels himself relaxing as his eyes gravitate towards Sykkuno's figure.</em> </p><p><em>Sykkuno brushes his bangs, puffs out a breath resignedly.</em> "Not really, Toast is kinda snoring loudly tonight and I needed some quiet..."</p><p><em>His head whips towards the kitchen, and Corpse meets wide eyes and a pleading gaze.</em> "Don't tell him though, please! Toast'll be so embarrassed, I know he worked really hard today, that's why..." </p><p>
  <em>Corpse would normally never give up the opportunity to heckle at Toast and knows Toast doesn't get embarrassed that easily. To be fair, Toast would as easily jumped on such an opportunity for teasing him as well.</em>
</p><p><em>For Sykkuno and his kind heart though, Corpse turns a blind eye to this magnificent opportunity.</em> "Sure, sure Sykkuno."</p><p><em>He doesn't give any promises, files this information for later use.</em> </p><p> </p><p><em>Corpse stands beside the sofa, sees a white dog on the screen of sykkuno's phone and a soft smile on his face. Corpse lets himself fall into the space between Sykkuno's body and the left armrest, feels the water in his cup slosh precariously close to the edge.</em> "She's cute." </p><p><em>Sykkuno gives him a side glance, but Corpse fixes his eyes resolutely to the phone screen, watches a video of the dog roll in a patch of grass. He ignores his increasing heart rate, the way his throat closes into itself.</em> "It's been a long while since I've seen anything on earth."</p><p>
  <em>Sykkuno turns his head back, face eerily lit from the harsh lighting of the phone screen as he smiles, a look that Corpse feels oddly trusting, though he cannot pin the reason. </em>
</p><p>"S-she's Bimbus, my dog... My grandmother takes care of her whenever I'm in space and I try to visit her during off days at MIRA." <em>Corpse sees Sykkuno eye's twinkle, watches the snowy dog bark excitedly at the mention of Sykkuno's name from a disembodied voice behind the camera.</em> </p><p>"I— I miss her a lot," <em>Sykkuno admits softly into the darkness of the lounge, like a weakness meant to be hidden.</em> "I miss them both a lot." </p><p><em>Corpse pulls down his mask and hastily takes a sip out of his mug, feels the prominent valley of space between their thighs on the couch. He secures his mask on again before speaking.</em> "I think it's good that you have people and things worth missing on Earth." </p><p>
  <em>Sykkuno faces him, places his now silent phone on the coffee table in front of them. Corpse knows Sykkuno wants him to elaborate but is a little too amicable to be assertive about things, watches Sykkuno wring his hands gently. He waits for Sykkuno, watches the shadows dance on the carpeted floor. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>"D-Do you, uh, not have anyone on Earth..?" </p><p>"Not anyone I'd miss, no." <em>It was a pitiful but honest admission and Corpse wasn't ashamed of it. </em></p><p> </p><p>"O-Oh..." <em>The twist of skin and the pumping of blood rushes in Corpse's ears; Corpse is still adapting to the heightened sensitivity of his symbiote.</em> "I-I'd miss you if you, um, b-because you're really nice and you laugh when I'm trying to be funny! Even if those moments aren't the best..."</p><p>
  <em>Corpse hears the blunt scratch of nails on skin and the nervous uptick of Sykkuno's heartbeat. </em>
</p><p>"I think you're really funny Sykkuno." <em>Sykkuno brushes his bangs again, lets out a heavier breath of air into their shared space.</em>"Not everyone did, at least, I didn't know if they were genuine about it."</p><p><em>Corpse feels tendrils of indignation curling into his conscience as Sykkuno graced him with a more tentative smile and a gentle shrug of his shoulders, backtracks.</em> "I mean, t-they probably were just being nice, I know my jokes are kinda bad..." </p><p>"They weren't being mean to you about it, were they?" <em>Sykkuno shook his head furiously, meets Corpse's stare optimistically with his hands shaking in denial.</em> "I'm sure they were just joking, r-right?"</p><p>
  <em>Sykkuno lolls his head to the side a little, his hands still moving in front of him, eyes still painfully bright; Corpse feels his heart wrench into something painful.</em>
</p><p>"At the very least, at least they were kinda happy for a while, 'cause like, 'haha, nice one', you know?"</p><p><em>Corpse watches Sykkuno shift under his gaze, hears the soft swallowing of his throat.</em> "A-Anyway—" </p><p> </p><p><em>Corpse takes that leap of faith again, holds Sykkuno's bare, gesturing hands into his ring-clad fingers, hears Sykkuno's jaw snap shut.</em> "I— I dropped out of education at twelve due to health complications. There was a lot of talk in my neighbourhood, naturally."</p><p>
  <em>Corpse pushes down the indignation and rage for Sykkuno he feels, focusing on Sykkuno instead. This conversation right now is for Sykkuno's feelings, not about himself. </em>
</p><p> </p><p><em>Corpse meets Sykkuno's stare, sees the encouragement and slight hesitation of where they might be heading. Corpse lets out a deep breath, ploughs on,</em> "I'm not going to burden you with my life story, but look where I'm at now; look at where you are too." </p><p>
  <em>Corpse tilts his head at the humming stairwell lights, at their eight roommates and their spacious lounge once you ignore the fact that it's supposed to house ten people.</em>
</p><p>"We're higher up than any of those who've spoken about us unkindly." </p><p><em>Corpse gives a warning look at Sykkuno's protesting furrow, squeezes his fingers lightly between his own.</em>  "And we're doing what we love, what we're good at; we're having fun, making new friends and meaningful connections." </p><p>
  <em>Corpse doesn't think that can be applied to him very much, but Sykkuno doesn't need to know that. </em>
</p><p>"Corpse, I'm not going to find your life story burdensome... I'll be very honoured if y-you'd want to share it with me!" <em>Corpse lets out a soft laugh, feels Sykkuno's fingers curling into his palm as Sykkuno met his gaze earnestly, feels a twist in his guts at the renewed brightness in Sykkuno's eyes.</em> </p><p>"Thank you, Sykkuno. We're more than what we give ourselves credit for, even my loser ass." <em>Corpse squeezes Sykkuno's fingers again as he tries to protest once again.</em></p><p>"Life is short, and it's even shorter in this line of work." </p><p> </p><p>"Point is," <em>Corpse extends a hand from their clasped hands towards the coffee table and retrieves Sykkuno's phone.</em> "let's just watch more cute dog videos together and live in the moment, alright?" </p><p><em>Sykkuno opens his mouth, then closes it and untangles their hands gently, picks up his phone from Corpse's grasp with a slight clearing of his throat.</em> "Yeah, alright Corpse." <em>Sykkuno smiles at him, his face translucent under the soft glow of the phone screen, like milky fragments of what souls might be made of. </em></p><p> </p><p>Oh. <em>Corpse realises as he stares at Sykkuno's pale, glowing face while he scrolls down a video-sharing social media platform, the bridge of his eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration.</em> That's what it must be.</p><p> </p><p><em>Sykkuno's face looks relaxed,</em> <em>vulnerable</em> <em>under the soft lights of his phone and the artificially reflected moonlight coming through their tempered glass windows. </em></p><p>
  <em>Vulnerable, stripped bare, barriers let down, transparent. That's what it is. </em>
</p><p>When was the last time he felt like this?</p><p>
  <em>This moment feels fragile, suspended in amber and the air crystalline, charged with a special calm; it could be shattered with a rock and Corpse would pick up shards on the carpeted floor, their edges gentle instead of harsh and reflections filled with a universe worth of stars. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse wonders how what's left of his face above the mask looks like, if his eyes resemble Sykkuno's own: unbearably honest and inherently trusting. Corpse wonders what Sykkuno sees in him to want to trust him like this. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Sykkuno lifts his head to beam at Corpse and Corpse stops thinking altogether, lets himself close the gap between their thighs as he peers into Sykkuno's phone screen and basks in his comforting presence. </em>
</p><p>"If it counts, I'd miss you too, Sykkuno." </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Corpse feels the air shift before it does, feels the light buzzing of his teleporter a second before it whisks him away to the meeting room onto his teleportation pad. His symbiote knows something bad has happened. </p><p> </p><p>Seeing Wendy's stricken face and Pokimane's accusatory pointing at Wendy was enough for Corpse to understand their situation. </p><p>There was almost no need for the meeting; Poki's hysterical screeching and utter shock coupled with Toast's affirmation that Wendy did pass him while doing wires in the hall bare minutes before Ludwig's death was more than enough of a confirmation. Corpse closes his eyes, feels the movement of air in the ventilation system of the office. </p><p>"Please, come on, we shouldn't be voting right now... Please, guys..." Wendy's rationalisation fell on deaf ears as everyone stared at each other, Corpse resolutely not meeting Wendy's eyes as she shifted her eyes to meet anyone's stare. Corpse couldn't feel any pity for her; she didn't check her surroundings carefully enough, wasn't lucky enough, met Pokimane's horrified eyes while still coated in Ludwig's blood. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse's symbiote can smell his blood on Wendy's currently spotless spacesuit; it coats the roof of Corpse's mouth, makes him sick in his stomach. </p><p> </p><p>A soft beep resounded in the air; it was time to vote. There was a heavy silence in the air, one of expectation as everyone voted silently, the ventilation system whirring the only other noise in the room. Wendy gave Corpse one final betrayed look, but Corpse's symbiote just stared passively back. </p><p>
  <em>You knew what you signed up for, you fucked up, don't expect me to save you now; clean up your own mess, even if it's with your death.</em>
</p><p>Eight votes for Wendy and one for Pokimane. A silence softly fell upon everyone around the table: a unanimous vote for Wendy. A grim silence settled on everyone, and the panic seemed to finally dawn in Wendy's eyes. Heads turning, bodies moving, Wendy shaking her head furiously and desperately as everyone surrounded her steadily. </p><p>The silence was stagnant in the meeting room before Valkyrae opened her mouth to diffuse the tension. "Wendy, we've voted already, just..." Rae shrugged helplessly before Poki cut in ruthlessly, her pointer finger trembling. "You killed Ludwig right in front of me, you monster! Y-You don't deserve a second chance!"</p><p>"That's right! Get this murderer out!" "Get out, get the fuck out!" Wendy's face fell at the accusatory words flung through her earpiece, eyes teary. </p><p>"Please don't make us do this, Wendy." Toast appeals softly as he steps forward and Wendy's face wretches as she steps back, a surprisingly human expression of panic and anger. </p><p>"Fuck you! Y-You, <em>we</em> didn't have to do anything! We could have chosen to skip! Don't feed me that <em>'don't make us do this'</em> bullshit; Don't you <em>dare</em> play the victim complex with me!" A hysterical pitch rings in Corpse's comms as Wendy shrieks at everyone, resembling a wax doll melting in its own heat. </p><p> </p><p>Everyone glanced at each other, some hesitant, some uncertain, some furious; everyone certain of the crawling blood slithering down the table of the meeting room, the stain of an indirect murder seeping through their spacesuits, embedding the valleys of their hands and the underside of their nails. The kind of stain that no amount of scrubbing will remove, no amount of tears will wash off. </p><p>For a moment, everyone was stripped to their bare bones, just a shaking, terrified shell of their composed minds; all scared of being wrong, of being permanently branded a murderer. </p><p>Then, somebody pushed her out of the meeting room; nobody seems to know who did it but the effect was instantaneous. Wendy stumbles over her own feet, drops onto the carpet in the hall. Blood streaks her gloved hands, over the spacesuit Corpse knows was stained with Ludwig's blood before for the second time. Retching happens behind Corpse and the light humming of the oxygen ventilation system thrummed louder than before. Wendy's hands curled in the carpet. </p><p>"Guys, please... No, no, no..." Wendy's body was outright shaking, scrambling backwards from the bloodstained carpet and she bumps into someone's foot. Everyone stands around Wendy, a human wall of condemnation surrounding her from all angles.</p><p>Corpse doesn't flinch, watches with everyone else as Wendy curls in onto herself, nonsensical begging and pleadings echoing in their shared comms.</p><p> </p><p>Wendy's crying now, tears flowing freely, smudging her visor and distorting her face, as though one was looking through a funhouse mirror; a trapped, monstrous being returns your gaze. </p><p>Toast nudges his foot into Wendy's back, a silent order to continue moving. The ventilation system pounds in Corpse's ears now, the whirring of fans adding to his headache as Wendy falls over in the Office again; she smears Ludwig over the wooden panels, imprints them both into the history of the base.</p><p> </p><p>By now no one had hesitation on their faces, eyes filled with either resignation or righteousness, knows they can't afford that at this juncture; Corpse knows it's too late for regrets, it's over. </p><p> </p><p>The ring of accusers surrounded Wendy towards a path that might as well be inlaid with bones and teeth, sharing the same overlord as the bubbling lava. The ventilation fans are thrumming in Corpse's head, grating and screeching against each other, steel on steel, rust flying off the blades. Wendy's moving on her hands and legs, only soft sniffling and choked sobs filling through their earpieces now. </p><p>Wendy sits on the rocky terrain for a while as her shaking stops, coming to acceptance of her fate. Everybody waits, spares her this brief shred of humanity, of pity, as if it could ease the guilt of blood on their hands. Corpse could almost taste the beads of sweat drip from people's foreheads into the depths of their spacesuits.</p><p>Wendy picks herself up to walk on the metal extension with as much grace she could muster, turns around to face everyone through their visors. </p><p>A distorted, inhuman voice fills their earpieces, sends chills down Corpse's spine and goosebumps break on his skin. "I'll see you aliens again, one way or another." Corpse then sees the clear dilation of Wendy's eyes, sees the actual Wendy for the first time in forever.</p><p>She sags into herself, stands less straight and smiles bitterly, gut feeling telling her that this is the only moment she'll get to truly be herself in a long time. </p><p>Corpse realises how she takes up less space now, looking more vulnerable than her symbiote, smaller in presence. He wonders how the rest missed these differences that seem so obvious in hindsight. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"You guys were the best friends I've had the pleasure of knowing." </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Corpse hears the tremble of muscles in Poki's jaw, the rubbery squelch of Toast clenching his hands in his gloves, the pull of tendons as Sykkuno's eyes widened; the realisation that maybe that Wendy wasn't Wendy after all, that this ending was a kindness for both victims. </p><p>The metal grating and air whirring rose to a crescendo in Corpse's head, making Corpse's vision dizzy with nausea; Corpse tastes copper on his tongue. </p><p>But fate is an evil mistress, and Corpse still sees Wendy's last moments in stark, painful clarity through his sensory overload. The cacophony suddenly stops ringing in his ears, as though having anticipated the moment of tragedy that time awaits to execute. </p><p>The swift slash of a scythe tears through the eternal night. </p><p> </p><p>Wendy takes off her helmet and swings her lilac hair behind her, a lone shooting star in the inky sky. She tosses her helmet and turns with a flourish, falls backwards as though she's making snow angels on the fiery backdrop while she tilts her head back; her lips are stretched in contentment, suspending for a spilt moment of serenity like spiderwebs strung over dewy grass. </p><p>The harsh flump resounding through the vacuum of space as her body hits the surface was a cruel mockery of a gavel's final verdict. </p><p> </p><p>The soft glops of the lava swallowing the purple spacesuit haunts Corpse's ears. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>For a moment, there was disbelief and horror as everyone looked down into the lava, their minds running to catch up with the information.</p><p>Then, as the spacesuit submerged itself in molten fire, as the purple helmet rolled on the rock below their feet, did regret and realisation grace the crew with their presence. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Poki was the first to react, screaming towards the space Wendy occupied on the extension; her scream was bestial and a mess of vowels, syllables brimming with agony. The piercing jumble of vocalised emotions scares everyone out of their trance and Sykkuno watches helplessly as Poki runs, his throat closing in onto itself.</p><p>She barely stops at the edge of the extension, sinks into herself, sobbing quietly into her synthetic gloves.</p><p> </p><p>"That was Wendy, Wendy was still in there in the end... This isn't fair!" </p><p> </p><p>Poki's voice chokes, her body shaking like a leaf and fragile as dew, raw and hollowed out from the loss of two friends. No one could find the words to say, only stared at each other in bafflement, heartbreak and loss. The human ring that was once used to condemn Wendy now mocked the people themselves, holds them all at gunpoint, miming, 'look what you've done now.' </p><p>Sykkuno wonders what possessed them all to believe that Wendy was beyond salvation; was it their survival instincts? The years of education in MIRA courses of <em>'for the greater good'</em>? The paralysing grip of fear? Or perhaps, it was the selfishness of people, of fear-mongering and distrust. </p><p>No, that too, was merely being human. Sykkuno doesn't know anymore, feels nothing and everything all at once. </p><p> </p><p>Rae joins Poki on the metal extension, hugs Poki's shoulder from behind her. Everyone knew that Wendy was close to a whole bunch of them, having been friends since their MIRA STP days. Valkyrae weaves Poki's fingers between her own, seemingly a signal showing she saw and believed in the sheen that retreated from Wendy's eyes in her last moments. </p><p>"Let it go, Poki. You made the right choice," Toast encourages softly, speaking through the all-encompassing silence. "Wendy won't be suffering anymore." Sykkuno knows Toast means every word he speaks, hears the sincerity in his voice and other words left unsaid. </p><p>Hippo picks up Wendy's helmet from the ground gingerly. The visor was cracked, likely from hitting a blunt rock and its edges slightly scuffed from the rolling; otherwise, it was still serviceable. 5up rolled his shoulders before clearing his throat softly. </p><p>"I don't want to be that guy, but we do have to finish tasks and, well. We also don't exactly have the time to mourn, now that we know there are Imposters in this crew. They normally hunt in pairs, don't they?" </p><p>"Yes, they do," Talia murmurs into her microphone, voice flat and filled with rigidity. Her yellow gloves clench on her tablet, posture stiff. "The faster we get tasks done, the faster we can get the fuck away from this base." </p><p>The words <em>'from the imposter'</em> goes unsaid, though it need not be vocalised out loud to be felt. </p><p> </p><p>"The imposter was the symbiote that took over Wendy... She was never the killer, the murderer. That was the symbiote that took over Wendy. Let's not remember her like that, alright?" </p><p> </p><p>Toast's silent dismissal was obvious, and Sykkuno can almost hear the soft plodding in his mind as people went back to their tasks. In his peripheral vision, Sykkuno sees Corpse turn as Poki continues to shake on the extension, Rae's arms tightly wrapped around her. </p><p>He feels Corpse's heavy gaze on him, knows Corpse is heading his way but his head is numb. The weight of the events suddenly sink themselves into his body, Sykkuno feels himself burning hot and freezing cold.</p><p>Corpse pauses in front of him, eyes crinkling in concern and Sykkuno hears his voice in slow motion.</p><p>
  <em>"Sykkuno, are you okay?"</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno tries to give a coherent reply but what tumbles out of his lips is a cracked, "Oh god, Wendy... "</p><p>Sykkuno is suddenly aware of his curled hand on his chest; since when did he raise it there? He lets Corpse lace their hands together, feels the thumbing on the top of his hand. </p><p>"Sykkuno, <em>breathe</em>." </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno takes in a shaky breath, channels his focus into breathing deep and well. He closes his eyes and inhales himself silly, feels Corpse guiding his feet somewhere. He lets it happen, trusts Corpse as he busies himself with breathing until he feels grounded enough to open his eyes again. </p><p>Corpse has guided them behind the temperature panel to give him some privacy and Sykkuno is struck by how soft Corpse is sometimes beyond his stoic surface. </p><p>Corpse looks into his eyes, seemingly checking his mental state before squeezing their tangled hands reassuringly.</p><p>"She's in a better place now, both for us and herself. If you believe in that kind of thing." </p><p>Sykkuno is unused to this kind of concern from people beyond Toast and his close friends, but Corpse has hung around enough to be a friend, right?</p><p>
  <em>Corpse... is a friend, right?</em>
</p><p>The fear of being a burden to Corpse was what unstuck Sykkuno's tongue from the roof of his mouth to reply, hands leaving the other's to gesture in reassurance.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you Corpse. I'm glad... I'm okay! Thanks for staying back, y-you don't have to do this; I know I'm being dumb and stupid..." Sykkuno wipes his hands on his thighs, gives a smile that hopefully conveys he's alright. </p><p>Corpse's sceptical and perceptive gaze meets his own, and Sykkuno knows he's not being the least bit convincing at all. Sykkuno looks away, embarrassed at being caught. </p><p>Corpse, however, doesn't let that happen, grasps Sykkuno's shoulder gently and forces eye contact. Sykkuno looks into the other's eyes through their visors, sees a firmness he wishes he could have swimming in expressive brown. </p><p>"Having feelings isn't being dumb or stupid, Sykkuno, so don't you dare feel bad now."</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels a smile catch on his lips at those words, lets it surface on his face. "Thanks, Corpse, I'm okay now."</p><p>He's not really, not quite there yet, but he will be sooner thanks to Corpse. </p><p>Corpse gives him a look and squeezes his wrist one last time before they part ways, seemingly content with his reply as of now.</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno heads back towards the office to scan his boarding pass and the only thought that crosses his mind after it all is frightening simple.</p><p>
  <em>'I miss the feeling of Corpse's hands on mine.'</em>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>╔ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ╗</p><p>𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎: ■■■□□□□□</p><p>╚ ═ ═ ═ ═ 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙿𝙾𝟹𝟽-𝚆𝙷𝙸-𝙿𝟻 ═ ═ ═ ═ ╝</p><p>𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙴𝚊𝚜𝚝</p><p>𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎: 𝟷𝟽𝚑𝚛 𝟺𝟶𝚖 𝟸𝟻𝚜, 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟷</p><p>𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎: 𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 [𝙻𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚢] 𝚝𝚘 [𝚏𝚕𝚒𝚙 𝚜𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚠𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚗𝚘𝚍𝚎]. <strong>(𝚙𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍)</strong></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Dinner was a silent event, all the crewmates eating their meals without chatter. Corpse found it eerily empty, like he might as well be alone in the office. Corpse misses solid food but he also doesn't want to show his face, hence another blended smoothie was his choice. Poki had one herself too, asked Corpse how to in such a hoarse voice that he told her to sit back down. It was the least he could do for her. </p><p>After all the trash was compressed and the area tidied, came the dreaded progress meeting. </p><p> </p><p>Hippo pulled up her tablet to project the hologram on the table, letting everyone settle in before clearing her throat delicately. "Today has been a rough day, both physically and mentally, emotionally." Her glance towards Poki's curled figure did not go unnoticed around the table as the hologram flashed to show the list of crewmates. </p><p>"We have lost two of our fellow crewmates, one of which were infected by an alien symbiote species." </p><p>Hippo then shows the progress bar for tasks on the projector. "Maintenance tasks have been completed by a quarter, which is good progress. Selective crewmates have had their task list updated due to Ludwig's unfortunate passing, but there is not much change otherwise." </p><p>Hippo hovers awkwardly over her seat, adding in a quiet, "I wish he wasn't though," before disconnecting her tablet from the hologram projector and suddenly it's as though a switch has been flipped in everyone. </p><p> </p><p>An echo rang throughout the room as 5up sighed into the microphone in his helmet. "Ludwig was a cool guy. Sucks he's the one to have gone first." </p><p> </p><p>Talia doesn't seem to share the sentiment, leaning forward on her arms to scrutinise everyone across the table instead. "Shouldn't we be trying to find out who the other Imposter is?" </p><p>Sykkuno flinched beside Corpse, who felt his symbiote start to squirm at being mentioned. Corpse knows his face wouldn't betray him, but he's glad for his mask and helmet being additional barriers in front of him. Poki's head was still downcast, her hands on her lap. Valkyrae turned to face Talia's glare with an even stare. </p><p>"Talia, not all of us are quite ready to have another person dead in the lava pool, thank you very much. Like, geez, I'd rather like a third dose of death on top of our first two existing doses already!" Valkyrae places her hand sassily on her chest before letting out a highly exaggerated gasp. </p><p>Toast gave her a shit-eating grin, Hippo coughed in poorly disguised laughter and 5up let out a snort at her antics. </p><p>Talia didn't let up on her suspicious gaze, didn't crack a grin at all. "You aren't too worried about being the next target, Valkyrae." </p><p>Rae drops her exaggerated face and stands up while crossing her arms stubbornly. "I just think this level of wariness and hostility is unwarranted after such a shitty day, Talia. We can throw out our suspicions and tear out each others' throats, sure, but let's leave that to tomorrow." </p><p> </p><p>Talia stands up to challenge Rae's gaze with her hands propped on the table. In an instant, Corpse felt the temperature of the room go down, the chill seeping through his spacesuit and down his spine.</p><p>"l don't understand why you all aren't more worried that we have a literal imposter in our crew, right now. They could be sharing a room with anyone or even kill and frame somebody in the night!" </p><p>Talia goes on when Rae clearly doesn't back down, juts her chin out obstinately instead as Talia waves a hand out of the office window. "I've heard stories, alright, and these imposters aren't sweethearts."</p><p> </p><p>Toast stands up between them, intervening by holding out a hand for a truce. "As much as I agree with your logic, Talia, I think we should get some rest with all the events that happened today. Some people deal with emotions differently and at various paces."</p><p>Talia opens her mouth to retort, but Toast continues, "I also believe all of us could use this time to calm down and recall information that could be useful."</p><p> </p><p>The pink astronaut nodded from behind Toast as he takes his feet off the office table. "I'm normally inclined to agree with your shots, Talia, but right now I really use some shut-eye."</p><p>Sykkuno raised his hand, before realising this and places it down on his lap again, flushing a little at everyone's gaze. "I, um, also agree. With what Toast said, yes. Uh." </p><p>Hippo graciously saves Sykkuno from further stuttering by standing up and stretching her body, before tucking her helmet under her arm and interjecting. "Yeah, I lugged two gas tanks' worth of fuel to each of the engines today; my tailbone hurts like hell." </p><p>Talia huffs, throwing up her hands in frustration. "Fine, go do whatever. I'll tell you this though: the death toll will be higher than three if we don't start sus-ing out the imposter soon." </p><p> </p><p>A cracked laugh rang from Poki's mouth as she lifts her head to meet Talia's eyes. Corpse sees everyone around the table turn to Poki in mild surprise, himself as well. She has been silent during the whole meeting. "No shit, Sherlock, of course we know that." </p><p>Talia bristles, clearly taken back by Poki's lack of tact. She jams her helmet on furiously, fiddling with it for a few tense moments before striding out of the office, the harsh vacuum wall whooshing in her wake.</p><p>5up lets out a briefly annoyed snort before exiting the office lazily, giving them all a salute before he vanished through the vacuum door as well. </p><p>After a pause, Hippo lets out an apprehensive huff, rubbing her arm in the cold silence. "Well, that was pretty rough, huh." </p><p>Toast directs a light shrug in her direction. "It do be like that sometimes, Talia's not all wrong. She's just looking out for all of us, in the end; she's not being malicious, at least not intentionally."</p><p> </p><p>Rae seems to hold a different view with her frustrated huff of breath. "Talia needs to know when to shut her trap," she snapped, flopping back into her seat with her arms crossed. "Can't she like," Valkyrae pauses as she gestures around the office in mild desperation, "read the atmosphere or something?" </p><p>"Rae, don't b-be mean! Like Toast said, she just worried for us..." Sykkuno protested softly, eyes beseeching, head turning to meet everyone's eyes. "Talia's also kind of a l-lone wolf, right? Maybe she's just not good with people, that's all." </p><p>Rae lets out a loud, drawn-out groan before swinging her long hair into her face as Hippo patted Rae's arm sympathetically. Corpse feels a laugh bubble out of his throat, feels Toast's questioning gaze on the back of his neck. </p><p>Corpse shrugs casually, let his brain-to-mouth filter go loose. <em>They really could use some carelessness after that frosty stand-off.</em></p><p>"Sykkuno's just making me feel bad for suspecting Talia now, seeing the good in everything and all of that." </p><p>Poki snorts weakly as her hand flops over itself, a weak smile graced upon her lips. "That's Sykkuno for you, our sweet soft uwu boy." </p><p>"I-I, what, um P-Poki..." Corpse laughs along with the rest of the crew as Sykkuno splutters and protests weakly. </p><p>The laughter pitters out, leaving a heavy silence that no one wants to address. </p><p> </p><p>Toast huffs, picks up the silence for everyone. <em>That guy has never been good with silences,</em> Corpse's symbiote observes.</p><p>"Wendy may have been infected and turned, but this doesn't mean she wasn't our friend. Let's remember her, not as the killer of Ludwig but the crewmate we had roomed with in MIRA HQ, during our MIRA STP years.</p><p>In some ways, Wendy's fate might have been crueller than Lud's." Corpse feels his throat closing a bit at that. Guilt scrabbles at his walls, tries to leave marks, to show evidence of his participation. </p><p>Corpse doesn't let it, forces the beast back into his ribcage. </p><p>"The faster we finish our tasks, the more Wendy's and Ludwig's deaths wouldn't have been in vain."</p><p> </p><p>Poki inclines her head and smiles wetly at Toast, knows that these words are specially tailored for her. "Yeah, Toast. Nice speech."</p><p>Poki stands up from the armchair she's burrowed herself into for the past two hours and takes a deep breath, shakes her head. She claps her hands together before she rests a hand on Valkyrae's shoulder, shoving it gently. "Let's go back, Valkyboo." </p><p>Rae's head lolls as half of her hair floats behind her ear, revealing a weary eye. "Don't call me Valkyboo, Poki, please," she deadpan, unamused. </p><p>"Come on," Poki whines as Rae slumps her head on her shoulder, Hippo supporting her other arm as they walk out of the office side by side. "Valky-baby? Valkybae? Oh my god, Valkybae works so well!" </p><p>"Be grateful, Rae, you're better off with Poki calling you pet names than what awaits me in my shared room." </p><p>Valkyrae's reply and Hippo's laughter was muffled even for his symbiote's listening range as the girls stepped out of the vacuum door, leaving Toast, Corpse and Sykkuno in the office.</p><p> </p><p>Corpse gestured around at the empty office. "Well... We should all get going then, right?" Toast waves a hand at Corpse with a deadpan look on his face. "Of course, Corpse. Sykkuno, do us all a favour; flick the oxygen switch behind us, 'kay?" </p><p>"Sure, Toast!"</p><p> </p><p>As the three of them retired to their rooms in the dropship, Corpse fell into stride with Sykkuno's delayed steps, brushes his arm against Sykkuno's own. "Can we talk?" </p><p>Sykkuno startles beside him and gives a tentative smile at Corpse. "Um, sure... We could talk later, yeah." Sykkuno's eyes shift away from Corpse's, hands twisting themselves. </p><p>Corpse raises an eyebrow, hears the silent 'but' at the end of the sentence. Corpse tells himself not to press the issue as they caught up to Toast and parted ways into their respective rooms; he'll trust Sykkuno to confide in him at his own pace. </p><p> </p><p>For now, he just really needs a bath and a breath of air without his mask and helmet on. </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you guys so much for the support so far &lt;3<br/>+<br/>p.s. Corpsekkuno has hit over a hundred fics!! *airhorn noises*</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Backstory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>tw: slight body dysphoria from unwanted developments, semi/graphic suicide attempt due to said body dysphoria and semi-graphic thoughts of violence.</p><p>^^ please proceed with caution!! + I've changed archive warnings to 'chosen not to' because this chapter is a bit more intense,, than the rest. Safety first, please.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for the comments last chapter, and for all the kudos and support &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sykkuno scratches his freed cheek the minute he took off his helmet in their shared room. He watches Toast step out efficiently out of his cyan spacesuit and place his helmet on his nightstand before sweeping into the bathroom without hesitation. </p><p><em>'Oh yeah, it's Toast's turn to bath first today,' </em>Sykkuno reminds himself as he consults their mini timetable hanging between their closet doors. Sykkuno decompresses his white spacesuit and leaves it on his specialized hanger. He drops his helmet at the foot of his sleeping pod and peels off the shirt and sweats he wore under his spacesuit mechanically. </p><p>Pulling on a worn shirt and another pair of sweats, he then flops unceremoniously onto his bed while grabbing a vacuum-packet of water and breaks the seal.</p><p>Sykkuno props himself in his sleeping pod as the sound of the shower filled their quiet room. He feels slightly numb from Wendy's and Ludwig's death; he still has not thought about feelings, and Sykkuno doesn't think he wants to acknowledge his feelings. If he does, Sykkuno's afraid that he'll just break down and that'll be mortifying. </p><p> </p><p>It'll also affect his relationships with his friends because he'll start to suspect his friends and Sykkuno doesn't want to think of Poki, Rae, Corpse or Toast stabbing any other person or himself. He doesn't want to think of what Hippo, 5up or Talia might be hiding from them all. He doesn't want to think of anyone dying. The tears, the eulogies, the funerals with cremated bodies because there wasn't much left of anything.</p><p>Death isn't the most devastating part to him, but rather it's the pieces that he has to pick up with everyone else together in the aftermath. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels wetness on his fingers and he looks down to see water dripping all over his hand from squeezing his packet too hard. "Oh," he breathes as he stares quietly at the wrangled mess in his hand. At least he drank some of it before, he thinks he did. Did he? </p><p>"Sykkuno?" </p><p>Sykkuno lifts his head and sees Toast scrutinising him while towelling his hair. "Ah, hey T-Toast!" Sykkuno hastily wipes his fingers on his damp shirt to rid himself of the water and smiles quickly at Toast. "That was rather fast." </p><p>Toast gives him a critical look before dragging their only stool beside his sleeping pod. Sykkuno notices Toast wearing his cyan slippers, leaving his own white ones in their allocated corner. "Sykkuno, you were spacing out, hard."</p><p>Sykkuno jolts, smiles bitterly in his head as he shifts under Toast's glare. <em>Toast always knows if something was off</em>. "I-I was? Ah, today was a long day, b-but I'm feeling okay now!" </p><p> </p><p>Toast gives him his <em>'stop bullshiting me'</em> face before taking the packet out of his hand, tossing it into their trash container. "Toast, you have to compress it—" </p><p>"Sykkuno, if you need to talk or vent, you should," Toast exhales as he stares Sykkuno dead in the eye. Sykkuno shifts his gaze and dips his head, faces his twisting hands and knows he looks like a miserable wreck. "Sykkuno, please. You can talk to me." </p><p>"Thank you, Toast, but I-I don't really want to talk about it," Sykkuno stutters as he continues to twist his hands, not daring to look Toast in the eyes. "It's not that I don't like you, I just—" Sykkuno tries his best not to squeak in surprise when Toast decides to clamber into his sleeping pod and wrap him in a tight hug. </p><p>"Toast?" Sykkuno hovers his hands over Toast's cool back as he feels Toast's body heat bleed into his torso, taken back by the turn of events. Sykkuno feels Toast's wet hair drip onto his thin shirt as he opts to pat his shoulder blades awkwardly. "Sykkuno, shut up and hug the shit out of me." </p><p>"O-okay?" Sykkuno continues to pat Toast for a while and feels it working, gradually he relaxes into the hug. Toast smells the same he has over their years together, the blend of citrus soap and cool shower gel he has grown to associate with his best friend. Sykkuno buries his head into Toast's shoulder, thankful for the silence and the comforting weight of Toast's head on his own. </p><p>Sykkuno focuses on this moment, the senses he can register and the steady beats of their hearts side by side. </p><p>After a while, Toast shoves his shoulder gently before loosening his arms to meet Sykkuno's eyes again. "Just— Share with someone when you're ready, okay? Promise me, Sykkuno."</p><p>"Eh," Sykkuno exhales before he finches at Toast's intensified glare. "I will." </p><p>"Thank god, my knees are hurting me." Sykkuno feels a light laugh leave him as Toast lifts himself off and grabs his towel off his helmet. Sykkuno swings his legs out of his sleeping pod, wiggling his toes to get the feeling back in his legs. It was uncharacteristic of Toast to do that, but Sykkuno wasn't going to complain. It had helped more than Sykkuno thought it would. A knock echoed through their room, pulling Sykkuno out of further thought. </p><p>"I'll get it!" Sykkuno hastily pushes himself out of his sleeping pod and stumbles towards their door. He immediately regrets picking out his current shirt as his eyes land on a dark figure occupying the frame of their door. He meets Corpse's eyes, watches those black-lined eyes drift down towards his stretched-out collar and the can of beans printed onto his shirt. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels his neck flush, turns around to grab his helmet and plucks his microphone and earpiece out of it to talk with Corpse through their comms. "Oh, hey Corpse!" </p><p>"Sykkuno." Corpse's hair frizzes in a way he knows happens after a shower and the rings adorning his fingers on Earth were painfully absent. Corpse has taken out his communicative devices too, strung messily around his ear and microphone resting over his face mask.</p><p>A sweatshirt, ripped jeans and black fluffy slippers complete his look and Sykkuno feels painfully lacking in his plain sweats and bare feet in the ship's sterile hallway. </p><p>He watches Corpse's eyes meet his before darting behind him. Sykkuno suppresses the urge to turn around and see what Corpse is looking at, if Toast is doing something unnatural. Corpse meets his eyes again with some kind of understanding in his eyes. "We could raincheck that conversation I mentioned for another day if you'd rather not talk now." </p><p>Sykkuno doesn't know how Corpse seems to seamlessly understand him, but he doesn't question it at this moment. He returns Corpse's words with a sheepish smile and a thankful tilt of his head. He knows by now that Corpse will know.</p><p>"Yeah, um, I'd rather raincheck this conversation, if you don't mind…" </p><p>Sykkuno feels the inexplicable guilt creeping up on him despite the stickiness of his shirt against his back nagging at him to shower for comfort.</p><p>He doesn't want Corpse to be sad, jumps at the thought that this talk might be a more important one instead of a continuation of their last conversation, backpedals to open his options again. "But I'd like a shower? F-First, if, uh, that's okay— I mean, if you—" </p><p>"No, Sykkuno, it's okay. It's been a pretty long day, don't stress about it." </p><p> </p><p>His heart still burns with guilt, tries to speak for him but a steady hand wraps around his wrist. He feels a gentle pressure on his skin as he watches Corpse's eyes crinkle. "I mean it, okay?" Another firm squeeze. "Let's both get a good night's rest, baby." </p><p>Sykkuno's neck burns hot again, all urge to protest and insist swept away with those words. He gently extracts his hand from Corpse's and brushes his bangs away; his other hand falls at the side of his body, meets Corpse's eyes as he replies weakly. "Thanks, Corpse. Y-You too!" </p><p>He tries not to think of the way his fingers brushed against Corpse's chipped black nails, about how they looked against the skin of his wrist. </p><p>Corpse shifts his eyes from his to behind him, probably meeting Toast's, gives them both a slight inclination of his head. Sykkuno watches Corpse turn, plod towards his dorm room but not before he gives a friendly wave from his door frame. His heart is pounding loudly in his chest. </p><p>Corpse waves back and Sykkuno smiles before shutting the door hastily, feeling a little too flustered for some reason. He resolutely ignores the look on Toast's face, grabs his towel and clothes and heads towards their shower. </p><p> </p><p>"You really should stop using kid's shampoo, Sykkuno, that isn't going to be good on your scalp." </p><p>"Ah, you see, Toast, this is for kids right? And kids have sensitive skin. This means that it's for sensitive skin, so my scalp will be fine!" </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Corpse lays down in his room, feeling a bit too blank and empty for his tastes. Even after the brief conversation with Sykkuno earlier, his heart hangs heavy in his chest. </p><p><em>Well, you do have me in you too, darling.</em> His symbiote croons as Corpse counts for the fifth time the total number of metal plates which made up his ceiling. </p><p>"It's a figure of speech, dummy." Corpse swings his feet out of his pod, wipes a hand over his unmasked face tiredly. He looks into his reflection in the vanity mirror, sees strong patches of purple smudged under his eyes with his ruined eyeliner. "I haven't slept longer than four hours at a time since we left MIRA HQ." </p><p><em>Missing your white love interest?</em> His symbiote teased, Corpse gets a brainwave of the action of something bumping his shoulder. <em>I'm surprised it took you this long to understand Host's human feelings for that person. And I'm the 'alien' species here.</em> Corpse believes their voice is slightly strained but doesn't think much of it. They're probably having an off day.</p><p>"Shut up," Corpse retorts in a valiant attempt to block out the words as he wipes off his makeup. "It's been a hot minute since I've had to care about emotions beyond being friends." </p><p>A teasing glint flashes in his left iris. <em>Sure, Host, whatever Host says. </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>The first time Corpse noticed something was off was after his third assigned mission. He had still been a lone wolf, with little friends and connections beyond Minx, and he cared a lot less about life than he did now. That was almost half a year ago.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The intrusion was apparent, the slight, unsettling wiggling in his skin and bouts of overwhelming anger swallowing him. Corpse would be out for hours with little to no memory of what he's been doing during that time and he had begun to question if his brain had decidedly given up on living. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse hadn't said anything, knows if he does MIRA will not hesitate to eject his ass into the atmosphere. Worse, he would be a specimen for the biotechnological scientists if they manage to persuade Director Stickmin to keep him for gene mutation and experimentation for studying Imposters. Biological samples are almost unheard of, let alone a live one. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse barely manages to keep his connections relevant and friends close, but he feels himself slipping every day.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The first time something was wrong, it was when Corpse heard a voice almost as low as his own. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse doesn't remember what specifics they had said, something about stopping 'you aliens' from invading and tainting space any longer, and that they should be preparing for their doom in a slurred, slightly hesitant speech with a creepy accent. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The only thought he remembers himself thinking during that whole interaction was, 'you really picked a time when I'm trying to catch up on sleep to show up?' </em>
</p><p><em>After their horrible, long and antagonistic speech, Corpse yawns and lies down on his bed. </em>"So, are you done?" </p><p>
  <em>There was a lot of spluttering and teeth-gnashing from it, but Corpse eventually fell into a restless slumber as the symbiote inside of him threatened to end mankind. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The first time Corpse felt briefly sympathetic for his symbiote was when his symbiote started to wax poetry about its hometown. Back then, Corpse still referred to his symbiote as an Imposter, a it; he still hated it and its presence to a certain extent. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It spoke about the cold purple mountains and bubbling lava springs, how the glow of stars would reflect against the lavender mountains during a snowfall and briefly lighten their eternally inky skies.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse physically turns around in his bed, the space in his lone, cramped room suffocating instead of its usual calm. He wonders if its because he'll be assigned to a new crew this very week, and that he might not have his personal space anymore. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse's thoughts are interrupted by the brainwave of a vision showing an alien landscape, sees its home planet as it does and the homesickness held in his symbiote's heart, or something like that. Corpse doesn't know how Imposter biology works. Corpse closes his eyes against his throbbing headache from a lack of sleep, wonders how much further is he going to sink down the living hierarchy if an alien species can feel something he's never felt. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He takes a chance; there's nothing much for him to lose anyway. </em>
</p><p>"What's your name?" </p><p><em>A pause. I don't have a name. The thing </em>felt<em> like it was struggling to find its words. The closest you aliens, humans, have gotten to identifying us is the term, 'symbiote'. </em> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The first time his symbiote and he really communicated to each other was when his symbiote crawled into his cells for the first time and forced a second mouth through his stomach. Corpse was alone in his room, everyone else had left for home visits and he had remained in the mostly empty headquarters for a weekend. They had co-existed as one for two months but Corpse never addressed the metaphorical elephant in his body after that first time and said elephant, likewise, stayed silent. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse broke five mugs, flipped two tables and cracked one tempered display glass during the morphing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse stands amongst what will be the first of many shard-strewn battlefields, rocking on his heels while laughing deliriously under his breath, nails digging into his scalp. He looks in the common room mirror, hates the way its second tongue curls against his pale abdomen, hates the gory nash of sharp teeth as his flesh gives to form gums. The remnants of his shirt lie in scraps all over the dorm. Purplish gooey liquid, probably their species equivalent to saliva, drips all over his hip bones and sticks to his ripped jeans. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's tried almost everything to injure or delay its progress, and nothing has worked or slowed it. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse snatches up the switchblade from his jacket, pushes desperately into the monstrous evidence of its infectious spread. And when the blade slides uselessly over copious saliva and sturdy teeth, he holds it to his neck instead. 'I want to die.' </em>
</p><p>
  <em>The tongue stops moving.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>His hand trembles, tendons in his arm taunt and muscles ablaze. Corpse meets his own eyes in the mirror, sees two consciousnesses at once, bile rising in his throat. He wants to throw up, he doesn't want to throw up; he doesn't want to stab himself, he wants to end this monstrosity. </em>
</p><p><em>His mind screams, something foreign in his subconscious intervening and tugging at him to stop, a desperation to live.</em> Host has to live, stop, stop, stop!</p><p>
  <em>His fingers spasm. The switchblade flies out of his hand. Corpse doesn't recognise the hand attached to his body. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse folds into himself, hysterically claws at the monstrous mouth stitching back into abdominal flesh, screams into the empty common area. He wants to peel himself inside out, scoop himself out of his skin, raw and bloody but infinitely his own. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He's still kneeling in shards, hurting as the symbiote keeps screeching in his mind, tossing and rolling amongst his thoughts, his instinct, his conscience. Nothing is his own anymore and Corpse hates it.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As though there was a turn of an axis, he's suddenly back in control, slammed painfully into awareness of the carnage around him. His breathing and his skin, his heartbeat and the sluggish bleeding from the cuts on his knees, the stagnant air and the harsh glints of reflections under false lighting. It's like he hasn't been dialled to a hundred in his body's sensitivity until now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Take back your senses, Host. It's tinged with something akin to pity, Corpse notes bitterly. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>The first thought that rings in his head, clear and crisp, is not hatred for it nor the need to clean up before the robot cleaners make their rounds.</em>
</p><p><em>It's a sobbing, certain plea.</em> </p><p>I want to live. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Glass crunched under his heaving breaths.</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>'Host had so many issues back then,' his symbiote snorted, slightly faint in his mind. 'Not that Host is rid of them now; Host just seems to cope better.'</p><p>"I really hate that you've remembered how to fluently communicate in our language now."</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"Everyone, this is my friend Corpse," <em>Jack smiles brightly as the lime crewmate brought Corpse to his assigned crew for his next mission. </em>"He's a little shy, do treat him kindly."</p><p>
  <em>Corpse shifts his mask, shuffling and slightly uncomfortable at the looks he was getting from the small crowd. Yellow looked like she couldn't be less bothered, Pink gave him a single-fingered salute and a slight quirk of lips and Purple tipped her head in greeting, gaze solemn. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Meanwhile, Red and Brown were looking at him with maniacal glints in their eyes and Corpse didn't know what to make of it. </em>
</p><p>"Um, hello," <em>he greets awkwardly. </em></p><p><em>Red and Brown immediately burst into flurried yelling and action.</em> </p><p>"Oh my god!" </p><p>"Holy shit." </p><p><em>Brown shoves a hunched White in the shoulder, jolts him to look in her direction with a startled look on his face.</em> "Sykkuno, you have been replaced, GTFO—" </p><p>"Wha— Wait what??" </p><p><em>Red steps up towards Corpse, craning her neck to look at his throat.</em> "He doesn't have a voice filter, does he?" </p><p><em>Corpse moves back slightly, caught off guard and Red notices, steps back abashedly and gives him an apologetic smile. Jack pats Red's shoulder gently, replies for him.</em> "No, not at all. It's legitimate, his voice." </p><p>"Um, I'm Corpse. Hello," <em>Corpse decides to speak out, wants to have names to correspond to faces instead of calling people Cyan, Blue and Green his entire trip. He wants to care about them as people instead of fellow employees.</em></p><p><em>Yellow raises her hand, voluntarily goes first.</em> "Talia." </p><p><em>Pink stands up, walks to him and offers his hand to Corpse; Corpse takes it and their handshake is reassuring and steady, smile friendly.</em> "Just call me 5up."</p><p>
  <em>Purple, Blue and Green all gave him waves, their names being Wendy, Hippo and Ludwig respectively.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Red and Brown complete each other's sentences and are dizzyingly animated but from what he can decipher, their names are Valkyrae 'Rae' and Pokimane 'Poki'.</em>
</p><p><em>Cyan gives him an open smile but shakes his hand with a wariness 5up lacked.</em> "Disguised Toast but Toast is fine."</p><p><em>Finally, White waves at him with a smile adorning his lips.</em> "I'm Sykkuno. You have a lovely voice, Mr Corpse!" </p><p>
  <em>Corpse's heart stutters offbeat for a second. His symbiote rouses, interested. </em>
</p><p>"Hello, Sykkuno. Just Corpse is fine, thank you."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Corpse hated the surges of bloodlust his symbiote brought with its presence. Scrabbling for control and tearing at his sheets, Corpse is exhausted from having to fight himself at any moment. It would be harder to control now that he had to share a dormitory with his crewmates in preparation of their mission, one of MIRA's last-ditch attempts to forge stronger bonds between their astronauts. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Corpse felt another wave as he sat in the common room he had been acquainted for a mere week. Corpse closed his eyes, tries not to groan and verbally berate his symbiote as the muscles of his abdomen start to cramp up again. Corpse gets up unsteadily on his feet to go back into his shared dorm with Green, Ludwig. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Someone walks into him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A mean retort almost slips from his throat but his senses fill with something herbal. Tea.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sykkuno.</em>
</p><p>"Sorry Corpse! I didn't think you were standing up— Corpse, are you okay?" <em>Wide eyes peered into his and Corpse makes his body move, instinctively takes Sykkuno's wrist in his hand to stop him from coming closer. </em></p><p> </p><p><em>The stream of blood and life under his hand makes</em> them <em>excited with adrenaline,</em> they <em>recognise the body beneath</em> them <em>as a fountain of vitality.</em></p><p>'Shut up, you creep. He's twenty-eight,' <em>Corpse snarks.</em></p><p>His neck must be soft. <em>They muse.</em> I wonder what it'll sound when snapped. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Corpse forces himself to meet Sykkuno's eyes, to not throw up at where his, no, his symbiote's disgusting thoughts are wandering as he reassures Sykkuno and takes the tea offered to him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He hasn't known Sykkuno for that long, but Corpse knows that he's not going to let his symbiote kill anyone. </em>
</p><p><em>Corpse has to remind himself him and his symbiote are two different entities, though it's hard when their thoughts instantly mingle with his own. Every moment around Sykkuno as time goes on changes his disgust at himself into rage at his stupid symbiote for wanting to hurt Sykkuno. Corpse opts to excuse himself politely, leads his feet based on pure instinct into his room. He closes the door behind him and faces the empty beds.</em> </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>'What the fuck was that, bitch.' Corpse lashed out. </em>
</p><p>Host is mad. <em>They cackled, seemingly gleeful.</em> Host really likes these humans. I was joking. </p><p>
  <em>'Shut the fuck up. You're not going to hurt anyone here.' Corpse pulls at his hair, eyes the lighter he knows is in his bedside table. 'I'll light my hair on fire if you do and I'm not joking.' </em>
</p><p><em>A pause.</em> Host won't. </p><p>
  <em>'Try me, whore.' Corpse sits on his bed. </em>
</p><p>You're not in control, I am. I control you. <em>His symbiote scratches against his organs, the sensation a physical reminder that they are together.</em> </p><p>
  <em>'My body, my rules.' Corpse swallows, rests his hand on the knob of his bedside drawer as a warning. 'You don't get to drag innocent people into our business.'</em>
</p><p><em>Another pause.</em> If that helps Host sleep better at night. They<em> acquiesce, their amusement obvious. Their presence slides away from his sensory capacities, slithers into the crevasses and folds of his psyche. Probably. Corpse doesn't quite understand where his symbiote goes when they're not tangible in his body, if they hear his surroundings and feel his emotions. He doesn't quite understand anything about them at all and briefly, he wonders if they'd feel offended. </em></p><p>His symbiote. <em>His.</em> They, <em>not it. </em></p><p>
  <em>Corpse has gone and gotten attached to the slimy bastard. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>And they made fun of his sleep schedule too, that absolute git.</em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>It's two in the morning the next time Corpse turns to face the glowing digits in his pod.</p><p>Corpse tosses in his pod again, looks over to Ludwig's empty pod, knows that someone has to write back to Ludwig's family to say sorry, to send back his belongings, to deal with the grief and disbelief and the pain. Corpse feels a clench in his chest, a heavy weight against his conscience, even though he hasn't killed anyone yet. <em>A killer by association.</em> </p><p><em>'I don't think I'll be able to kill someone, if push came to shove,'</em> Corpse reflects towards the metallic ceiling he knows has two hundred fifty-six panels. He knows because he counts them at least thrice a night, over and over as they made their way to Polus.</p><p>The only difference this round is the absence of Ludwig in his sleeping pod. </p><p>
  <em>'I'd lock my elbows and stiffen all my muscles, I'd bite myself bloody and tear my skin raw, I'd burn myself alive and carve out my stomach if I needed to.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Would you tear my tensed muscles from being locked to murder, break my bones so you can just morph them into stronger ones of your own will?' The two hundred and fifty-six sheets of metal don't answer him, the resounding silence suffocates him again. 'Would you be able to force me, if you had to do such a move, completely take over me like you should have five months ago?'</em>
</p><p> </p><p>His symbiote stays silent this round, a possible admission of its own. Corpse doesn't know if they've clocked out or just don't want to answer the questions. </p><p>Corpse wipes a hand over his face, the pain in his throat simmering as he exhales again. The silence of Ludwig's absence haunts him, taunts him of all the <em>'what ifs'</em> and that all's left of his charming wit and kind smile is a jar of unfeeling, flaky ash. </p><p>That he's betrayed many people with silence and a mistake that should have been picked off and thrown out of the organisation before he could hurt anyone. A killer by association. </p><p>That he won't get to hear the muffled "Night' o, Corpse." Ludwig gives him every night, the steady breathing of his lungs and the <em>'lub dub'</em> of his valves in his beating heart. </p><p><em>You could have warned everyone. You could have saved Ludwig.</em> </p><p>
  <em>You would have died.</em>
</p><p>Corpse hates it. </p><p><em>You're a fuck up, it's why you constantly get fucked over. People like you deserve it.</em> </p><p>Corpse hates himself. For his want to live only to rekindle when he has blood on his hands, for being selfish and feeling human in a long time. Corpse hates his symbiote, hates them for choosing him as their Host, to put him through such pains. </p><p>He wonders if he would be better off if he ended up like Wendy and her symbiote. </p><p><em>It's your fault. It's not your fault.</em> </p><p>Corpse swings his legs over his bed, ignores safety protocols about pressure decompression and all that bullshit and stumbles out of his room into the hallway without his spacesuit. His sweatpants stick to his legs from the cold sweat as Corpse strides towards the brightest source of light in the hallway.  </p><p>Corpse pauses in the hallway, sees the stretch of a shadow beside the vending machine. Soft white slippers peek out from the silhouette of the machine, one he had just seen tucked in a corner a few hours ago. He stops in front of the hunched figure. </p><p> </p><p>"Sykkuno?" Corpse watches Sykkuno's head whip up towards him, dark eye circles also prominent under his brown eyes.</p><p>"Oh, hey Corpse... What are you doing at this hour?" </p><p>"I could ask you the same question, Sykkuno." Corpse exhales as he squats opposite of Sykkuno next to the vending machine. He pushes away all his negative thoughts, focuses on Sykkuno and this very moment. The ventilation system and the brief rattling of the vending machine have become like background noise to Corpse already, but he also catches the faint gulping of Sykkuno's throat. "Insomnia strikes again so I came out here," Corpse chuckles. "Glad to see that I'm not the only rebellious person around." </p><p>Sykkuno pulls at the collar of his long-sleeved shirt, huffs a breath against Corpse's own. "You've already been rebellious twice." Corpse tips his head in acknowledgement, gives Sykkuno a smile. Sykkuno smiles back, a lopsided, endearing thing. He breathes out again. "I already turned on the oxygen switch to 'occupied', MIRA's a bit too paranoid sometimes."</p><p>Corpse lets out another breath in lieu, almost sees their exhalations intermingling in the space between their faces. "Something about oxygen ultrafiltration?" </p><p>Sykkuno let out a giggle and Corpse's heart flips itself silly. "Yeah, something like that. Prevent leakages and stuff." </p><p>"Would be awful if we all died because MIRA's oxygen system secretly sucked." </p><p>Sykkuno covers his mouth as he starts to laugh, wheezes a little with sparkling eyes that twists Corpse's guts as he whispers back, "T-that'd be horrible! Corpse!"</p><p>Conspiringly, Corpse lets his knees drop to the floor; he leans into Sykkuno's ear, mumbles, "It's probably 'cause they don't clean the vents and the air stinks."</p><p>"C-Corpse—" </p><p>Like the devil he is, he pulls down his mask and blows directly into Sykkuno's ear. </p><p>"Corpse— Wha—!" Corpse laughs as he pulls his mask back up, as Sykkuno stifles his laughter and shoves his shoulder. </p><p>"Boo," Corpse settles with that as a response, he sees Sykkuno's fluttering eyelids in front of his own. Since when did he close them? Sykkuno's eyes open and he sees them glittering with unshed tears and his chest heave with exertion. </p><p>"That was really ticklish!" Sykkuno laughs breathlessly, hand still fisted in Corpse's shirt like a fiery branding. </p><p>"Sorry," Corpse offers while giggling, not sounding sorry at all, feels a pang of disappointment rush through him for some reason. Sykkuno gives him a look before shifting his eyes away. A light brush against his leg. Sykkuno's hand falls away from his shirt. </p><p>Corpse didn't realise how close they were. "Ahem," Corpse returns to his previous position, rocks on the balls of his feet. His throat gets stuck and Corpse wants to bash his throat as Sykkuno scratches his cheek in the silence. </p><p> </p><p>"What kept you up until now?" </p><p>Now melancholy eyes meet his own. "I missed Ludwig." </p><p>Corpse's heart clenched painfully at the mention of Ludwig's name, he feels his hand crumple into a fist. </p><p>"Sykkuno, I—" </p><p>
  <em>I'm sorry for not protecting Ludwig, I'm sorry he's dead even though he's been your friend longer than he's been mine and I could have saved him but didn't, I'm sorry—</em>
</p><p>"I miss him, too." </p><p>"At dinner, I was expecting Ludwig to come in and tell me and Toast another awful vegetable joke, like the first time we met in the cafeteria of MIRA HQ," Sykkuno breathes out. "I always take two forks because even if Ludwig's eaten, he steals from my plate and tonight Toast had to stop me from taking two by h-habit."</p><p>Sykkuno's voice cracks. "Even until now, I still expect to see him come back from watering the plant he told me he left in the greenhouse on his first trip because he focuses only on his tasks during work hours." </p><p>"Then I remember, oh, Ludwig's dead, he's not going to do those anymore." </p><p>Sykkuno buries his head in his arms, lets out a shuddering breath. "I miss him, Corpse." </p><p> </p><p>Corpse moves his body to Sykkuno's side, slides their shoulders together. He tilts his head back, struggles to find his voice, to address Ludwig beyond his mind for the first time. Silence stays with them for a while, but Corpse knows Sykkuno knows he's trying. </p><p>"I miss his 'goodnights' even though Ludwig always thinks I never hear him because I don't reply back," Corpse closes his eyes, sees Ludwig's back facing him in his sleep pod. "I just wasn't used to it and I won't get the chance to, now." </p><p>"Things are going to get better, but it doesn't have to involve forgetting Ludwig. The little things he did. </p><p>Life is going to be different for us all without them but that feeling in your heart, it will go away slowly, I promise."</p><p>Suddenly, there's a warmth heavier than companionable silence on his shoulder. It turns, a nose nuzzles into his divot between his collarbone and shoulder. A hand sneaks between the gaps of his fingers. </p><p> </p><p>Silence envelops them for a while. Corpse wonders if his heart is as loud to Sykkuno as he hears it in his ears. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno's voice is muffled by his T-shirt when he speaks. Unfortunately for him, the shirt isn't thick enough to block the movement of Sykkuno's lips from Corpse's fragile heart.  </p><p>"Thank you, Corpse." The knowledge of Sykkuno's elevated heartbeat felt like cheating. "Thank you for talking and staying with me here." </p><p>Corpse has to stop himself from being caught up in his thoughts, clears his throat and gets out a weak, "anytime, Sykkuno." </p><p> </p><p><em>'Fuck it,'</em> Corpse give in, laces their fingers together and rests his head on Sykkuno's. Sykkuno's hair smells like artificial blueberry. Corpse can't help but smile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Finally some Corpsekkuno content, I hear y'all sigh xD </p><p>I got you guys, this story is about Corpsekkuno but you'll have to deal with Corpse's symbiote playing gooseberry in the background :D no regrets haha</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Climax</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>no tws?? what??</p><p>fair warnings though; ambiguous and probably irritating glossed-over vague science shenanigans, semi-awful texting, a moment of super saiyan Rae and tooth-rotting fluff ensures</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Everything you guys do, to commenting or kudoing, even just silently subscribing and bookmarking this lil' fanfic really make me so, so happy. Thanks y'all &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sykkuno feels for the gap he knows is in between the rocks and gropes his way blindly, pushes his body through until he pops out on the other side. </p><p>He emerges in a small cave, the view in front of him tinted purple and dark as he tugs his bag from a particular stubborn jut of rock. Toast had explained it to him, something about a hot clump of sand flung onto a pile of stones and an air bubble forming the cave they sit in now. Sykkuno knows glass is made of sand, hence the fact that he can make out the brief shape of the laboratory building and the miniscule blue glow of the weather node he just fixed. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno can't help but grin when his eyes lands on the vacuum-sealed compartment in front of him. Having friends that are mechanics such as Masayoshi and Leslie helped greatly in the making of this oxygenated compartment. Everyone in their official appealed shared dorm knew about this compartment, and used it freely whenever they were at Polus. </p><p>Sykkuno's still terrified MIRA will make rounds one day and find their hidden project but that fear has faded over the years of MIRA's blissful ignorance. It was kind of a secret shared playroom of theirs, if Sykkuno had to give it a name. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno checks the vacuum seal again, turns the oxygen dial to 'one pax' and deactivates his helmet. Sykkuno leaves his helmet on the shelves by the door and unlaces his bulky gravity boots. </p><p>Sykkuno unlocks another door from the 'coatroom', as Poki calls it, and enters into the actual room. He puts his bag down gently before flopping onto the cover floor. Sykkuno sighs in relief as the automated system flickered the lights on in the compartment. <em> 'All systems normal. Earth settings active.'</em></p><p>"Affirmative," Sykkuno confirms it with the system, hears the soft whirring before it quietens down. He's always liked this little space, it's kind of a physical proof that his friends count him as a friend, that they're close enough to have this together. </p><p>The thin gym mattresses that cover the floor didn't do much to help the cold hard floor of their compartment, and Sykkuno shivers, hopes the heat sinks in soon. It was good to take a break, Rae and Toast were always telling him to eat lunch on time. </p><p><em> 'Well, now I am,' </em>Sykkuno thinks, peels off his gloves hastily and takes out his lumpy taco with excitement that he would normally be embarrassed to show. Leaving Sykkuno alone is both equal parts terrifying and hilarious, is what his friends say. </p><p> </p><p>"I don't ever get what they mean half the time, but I do know that they're wrong about this," Sykkuno mumbles absentmindedly into the space, glad his earpiece and microphone could be hooked out of his helmet. "About me being terrifying alone." </p><p>"This is a great spot for a picnic, isn't it? It's a great spot." Sykkuno gestures at the falling snow and landscape, smiles even without his facecam. "And I'm gonna take a bite of this taco." </p><p>"Nmm— This is a great taco guys, Toast's tacos are great," Sykkuno speaks as he chews merrily, tastes vegetables, prawns and salad dressing that's refreshingly delicious after his rehydrated, packed-food week. "There's a bit of foil covering this edge, eh." </p><p>Sykkuno lets silence fill his recording after that, focuses on properly chewing and enjoying his taco. The snow seems to fall heavier now, Sykkuno watches it dust the planet base in front of his eyes into a pale wonderland. </p><p>The taco lasted for too short a period of time, Sykkuno concludes, as he licks off the light dusting of bread on his fingers, clutches at the empty zip-lock bag sadly. He voices this out-loud for his recording too, as he carefully compresses the mess into his trash container. </p><p>The quiet gets to him a little too much, drags up memories of minutes of silence at funerals. He quickly makes up a reason to talk outloud, to distance himself from those gloomy thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>"What do I think of this crew so far?" Sykkuno vocalises this question, pretends its a donation from one of his kind regulars. He wipes his hands with an antibacterial wipe. "Well, I really liked Ludwig. I still like him. Wendy, she was pretty cool too, for the amount of time I knew her." </p><p>Sykkuno swallows away the lump boiling in this throat, blankets a cheer over his voice. "We don't need to talk about Poki, Rae and Toast, don't we? They're my friends, and I like them. I like them a lot." </p><p>"Hippo's very sweet, she helped me push back my chair and boil water for us when we stayed in the dorm together," Sykkuno remembers a conversation that perks him up as he continues to trace patterns into the mattresses. "She also agreed that grass-type Pokemons are the best! Yes, I like her." </p><p>"Talia, well…" Sykkuno struggles as he tries to phrase his words. "She's a bit r-rigid. That's good sometimes!" Sykkuno hastily adds in, "she's the one reminding us to focus and actually makes Rae move her feet. </p><p>Talia has a very strong concept of time and that's good because we have a lot of fun. Someone needs to hold in our reigns." </p><p> </p><p>"Talia's also got a funny bone in her too! She made a joke when I talked to her the other day," Sykkuno thinks of what he had said. "I was just kind of being myself though, so I don't know what made her joke around like that." </p><p>"Point is, she's not that bad! Not that I don't like her but she seems like a nice person, just a bit reserved." Sykkuno concludes and nods to himself, satisfied. </p><p>Sykkuno shifts his legs, crosses them under him as he hugs the front of his bag to his chest. </p><p>"5up? He's Canadian, super chill and very nice! He offered to make me a turnip salad the other day," Sykkuno laughs as he recalls that event. "We made a mess in the kitchen! He says his mom makes them the best though, and that I have to try them one day." </p><p>"5up is very serious about space exploration too, I guess that's why him and Talia are kinda friends," Sykkuno muses. "They're both under the Specimen Research &amp; Experimentation Department of the crew, so they have to work together a lot."</p><p>"I trust 5up has a good eye for character, so yeah," he hums, "and last but not least, is Corpse."</p><p>Sykkuno feels a lump in his throat, tries to not let his mind wander to last night's events.  "Corpse… He's special." </p><p> </p><p>"I thought he was really shy at first, because he doesn't talk at all and has a mask, right?" Sykkuno scratches his cheek in contemplation. "But the more I talked with him, I realise that he has a lot to say, and well, he has personal reasons why he doesn't want to show his face.</p><p>I don't think Corpse would be comfortable with a recording about his secrets that anyone might be able to hear, so I won't share it here."</p><p> </p><p>"Corpse is also very funny and kind, h-he's also an awesome pilot and navigator for our crew!" Sykkuno grins as he remembers Rae and Poki fawning over Corpse's scores on the stimulator while Corpse had coughed and said the courses was nothing. Sykkuno himself struggled on the navigation simulation, and personally found it to be incredibly cool that Corpse breezes through all the courses. </p><p>"Corpse is, um, my friend? I think?" Sykkuno stutters, fiddles with the strap of his bag. "I mean, he finds me funny and thinks I have a nice voice too? He said it boosts his serotonin levels." </p><p>"Most importantly, he likes Bimbus!" Sykkuno laughs, tries not to think of the feeling of his hand in Corpse's. Friends hold each other's hands and hug each other right? He remembers the hugs that Toast and Rae and Lily give so having Corpse's in his mind is no different, is what he tells himself. "Corpse watches his videos with me every week!"</p><p>Sykkuno nods, leaves his thoughts at that. The room's gentle lighting and the ventilation's lulling hum has gradually built a relaxing ambiance. He feels the particular surge of a yawn building in his chest.</p><p>"I'm kinda tired right now, so I won't be talking that much anymore." Sykkuno feels his eyes droop, forces the yawn rising in him downwards. He slowly drags his tablet out of his bag, sets an alarm to ring in an hour before sleep overwhelms him. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>*</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>"Where is everybody?" </p><p>Corpse huffs, slightly frustrated at the empty landscape and hallways he has encountered so far. Corpse stops outside the door towards the huge digging drill and tries not to scream. </p><p>After giving himself one minute to have a mini breakdown, he pulls himself up and unlocks the laboratory doors with his boarding pass, then manually flips the switches when he realises that they've been sabotaged. Wendy must have sabotaged them before her death. </p><p>As the cold wind of sleet batters against Corpse's spacesuit and the doors closing behind him, his symbiote rumbles in his chest. </p><p><em> 'Shut up, we're not killing anyone today. Never would be too soon.' </em>He hisses at his symbiote, who projects a sulky face in his mind before continuing to throb in his chest.  </p><p>Corpse's symbiote may be less inclined to kill, but their urge for blood doesn't go away. They've been quiet ever since they landed on Polus, something about their biology realizing they're on home turf according to what he's read. It's taken a turn for the worse this morning, his symbiote acting up like a hormonal, rebellious teenager who is incapable of communication.  </p><p>Corpse sighs, looks at the empty landscape and falling snow, tries not to lose his mind. He needs human interaction, right now, before he loses his marbles. Corpse starts making his way to the lava pool, hoping that Toast will be camping the Vitals like he said he would be yesterday. </p><p>The stream of crunching from snow under his feet keeps his mind from floating as he trains his eyes on the ground resolutely.</p><p>
  <em>'One step at a time. One step at a time.'  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Before Corpse realises, he's already halfway around the big rock towards the Office. He breathes out a sigh of relief. <em> Half more of a journey to go.  </em></p><p>His tablet chimes suddenly and Corpse frowns. He fishes it out, hears his earpiece inform him of 'One hundred and four new messages in four chats'. </p><p><em> They don't normally text this much. </em>Corpse frowns as he unlocks his tablet. Corpse scrolls through the crew's official group chat, looks at the content of their texts. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>PO37 Crewmates</b>
</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙: </b>sykkuno left me on read! after i brought him his taco too! (҂๑◡_◡๑)</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙: </b>@Valkyrae he always replies you in record timing,i want him to hear him admit I'm amazing \(ᵔᵕᵔ)/</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞: </b>Now you just sound desperate, Poki. </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> shut up toast, you're the one who's desperate, lonely and single </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> poki has me &gt;:D</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> awww rae ily &lt;3</p><p><b>Hof-star-ter ★:</b> ily too, bb &lt;3 </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> sykkuno hasn't replied me either, that's weird </p><p><b>One turnip boi: </b>sykkuno's his own man, dw guys. he's probably eloped with toast's taco at this point. </p><p><b>Hip hip, Hippo!: </b>I expect a wedding invite from him, seeing as he's dropping us with all his tasks xD</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞:</b> Oh god woe be my taco</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙: </b>more like woe be sykkuno where is this anime boy at</p><p>
  <em> … nine more messages below. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>we the ganG ganG:</b>
</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙: </b>aaaaaaaaaa what if sykkuno really ran away with toast's taco</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> sykkuno would do toast dirty like that? character development! </p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞:</b> Hey hey hey, I do not like this turn of events. </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★: </b>i can't believe sykkuno's all grown up now</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> sniffs delicately </p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞:</b> Imagine Rachel Hofstetter, sniffing delicately. She could never. </p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> guys what if Sykkuno <em>actually</em> ran away what about my juice box nuuuuuu (ಥ_ಥ) </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★: </b>@DisguisedToast shut up</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> @Sykkuno you have forty-seven seconds to reply before i karate-chop your ass out of the milky way</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> No one makes poki upset not on my watch </p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞:</b> Rest in pieces, Syk, you've been a good friend. </p><p>
  <em> … Sixty-eight more messages below. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Corpse snorts; trust them three to be fooling around in their private chat. It's kind of worrying though, that Sykkuno isn't replying the girls immediately. Corpse knows Sykkuno has a soft spot for the ladies and so does Rae and Poki; they've used this to their advantage several times already. </p><p>Corpse checks the other two chats, both which seem to be from Toast and Rae respectively.</p><p> </p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞:</b> yo @CorpseHusband</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞:</b> have you heard from Sykkuno?</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> no, wassup</p><p> </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> corpseeeeeeeeee</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★: </b>sykkuno hasn't been replying our texts &gt;:((</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> maybe its cause ur spamming</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> jk, more like Sykkuno's offline busy being cute ig</p><p> </p><p>Instantly his chat with Rae chimes. Corpse laughs, formulates a reply.</p><p> </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> ooooooooooo 👀</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> I do not spam, eat your words bitch</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> yeah we all had enough of y'all googling at e/o when will you bone that boi alr</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> don't sideeye me u hoe</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> trust me if anything id rather him bone me</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> if Sykkuno msgs me ill inform ur ass</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> now go do ur tasks xo</p><p> </p><p>Corpse clears his throat; half his words are kind of true but hopefully Rae doesn't use it as blackmail material to coerce him into doing… <em> stuff </em>. Corpse has been doing this half-truth-half-lie tango with Rae ever since he had admitted Sykkuno raised his serotonin levels with his voice alone.</p><p>She's been letting him go under the radar until now, but Corpse isn't sure how long his luck will last.</p><p> </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> 👀👀 ooOOOooOooOooOoooOo</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> excuse YOU I'll have u know I've done five tasks <em> ""xo"" </em></p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> &gt;:P</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> good now go do more</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo:</b> bitch &lt;3</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★:</b> bye bitch &lt;3</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Corpse snorts at Rae's response before he switches off his tablet. </p><p>Corpse is closer to Rae for a lot of reasons, but what he supposes is the main reason is that he's kinda already met her at the few socialization parties he attended with Jack and Minx. She pulled him away to a bunch of socialization parties shortly after he joined their crew, and he's met some really nice people through her insistence. </p><p>Rae has been the one pushing invites into his comfort zone and slowly bringing him out, and Corpse is very grateful for her. Coupled with the Sykkuno teasing, they definitely have more inside jokes with each other than the others. </p><p> </p><p>This brief, though facilitated through technology, social interaction soothes his brain a bit. </p><p>However, luck doesn't seem to be on his side; his symbiote rumbles again, this round targeting his sensitive throat and Corpse actually mentally screams at his stupid symbiote for digging their claws in existing wounds. </p><p><em> Blood! </em> His symbiote rumbles excitedly, unbothered as it rattles their thoughts together and Corpse feels his irritation build back up again. <em> Hear it! Do you hear </em><em>i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟t͖͖̠̬͛—</em></p><p><em> 'Oh my god, shut up,' </em>Corpse tunes out their incoherent blabbering as he stands still, uses his symbiote's heightened senses to his advantage. If there really was someone nearby, their presence would help ground himself a bit. Corpse is really tired of his symbiote trying to shock his body into going on a bloody rampage. He's not going to lose control of his body after co-existing with this alien for almost eight months, not now at least. </p><p>Minx has always called him a stubborn bitch for a reason.</p><p> </p><p>A whistle of breath, a whoosh of air rushing into lungs, a steady heartbeat. Corpse jolts involuntarily towards the sound. Corpse whips his head towards the source of the noise.</p><p>
  <em>'But, no way?' </em>
</p><p>Corpse frowns, slowly walks around the perimeter of the big rock. Resting his hand on the rock as he moves, he follows the sound of air rushing into lungs and the heartbeat, hears them both get louder and louder until they start to fade again. </p><p>Corpse backtracks, stops in front of a crevasse in the rock. It doesn't stand out from the rest of the other cracks running down the rock; however, the noises are definitely coming from here. Corpse inspects the crack and realises that there are snow tracks inside the gap, but the wind is blowing in a direction were the snow wouldn't get in. </p><p><em> 'There's someone in here?' </em>Corpse removes his backpack, blindly shoves it into the gap before steeling himself and squeezed himself through.</p><p> </p><p>The first immediate thought is that he's not going to fit as Corpse wiggles forward into the darkness. His spacesuit was being uncomfortably pressed into his body and Corpse was terrified at one moment that his oxygen tank might crack from the pressure.</p><p>Corpse knows his symbiote will adapt his body to keep it alive, but Corpse doesn't know if his subconscious will survive and he's not interested in running any tests. </p><p>There's also the issue of looking like he survived the depths of tartarus. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse continues to awkwardly shuffle sideways in the narrow space further into the rock, needing to twist and contort his body quite a bit as he continues. He kicks his bag without care as he moves, absolutely regretting his previous decision to put in on the floor. </p><p>Another gentle push and Corpse finally emerges from the claustrophobic space. Corpse takes in a deep breath, feels his ribs ache from sucking in his stomach during his adventure. He sits down and drags his bag into his lap, before he looks up and realises what he's seeing, gasps. </p><p> </p><p>The space in front of him extends into the landscape outside of the rock. Corpse can see the distant silhouette of the Laboratory building and the falling sleet from the planet's atmosphere. The scene is tinted purple but it's there nonetheless, and Corpse wipes his hand over his visor. </p><p>"Maybe I've officially gone off my rocker at last," Corpse announces weakly to himself, to the chamber that he knows will probably echo if his voice was projected without being in a helmet. Corpse puts on his bag again, stands up to place his hand to the glass-like wall in awe. </p><p><em> This place provides an incredible opportunity to spy and camp out to catch imposters, </em> Corpse observed dryly as he notices that a crater the imposters can use are also in view of the glass. </p><p><em> ' </em><em>B̛̙̙͉̬̦̻̾͛̕͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞o͙͙̙̘̙ͤͫ͞— </em> <em> ' </em> Corpse forcefully tunes out his symbiote again as his head aches painfully, curls his hand on the glass with the effort. Corpse shakes his head, takes another breath before his vision realigns and he stops seeing doubles. <em> Gosh, they're going wild. </em>They can't be trying to damage his eyes, he needs them to pilot shit straight.</p><p>Right, the matter at hand. Corpse turns to his left, and wipes his hand over his visor again in disbelief. There's a metal box in front of him. A man-made box in a naturally-made cave. </p><p>"Polus, ever surprising," Corpse mutters under his breath as he exhales, unroots his feet from the ground. Corpse moves his legs towards the huge metal cube glowing faintly in the cave, puts his hand on it as well.</p><p><em> This couldn't be the source of the noise right? </em> Corpse is pretty sure he heard breaths and a heartbeat, and is quizzical at this turn of events. A realisation dawns on him.</p><p>
  <em>It's coming from inside this box!  </em>
</p><p>Corpse pauses. He's heard this heartbeat before. Corpse's eyebrows scrunch as he drops his head onto the surface of the container, lets his mind race. Where has he—</p><p>
  <em> "Thank you, Corpse."  </em>
</p><p><em> Oh. </em> </p><p>Corpse opens his eyes, feels a certain kind of dread sink into his bones. It's Sykkuno's heartbeat. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse doesn't like his odds. He's alone, isolated, and his symbiote is wildly craving blood. Sykkuno's tucked away in some box, sleeping judging by his heartbeat and alone with Corpse, an imposter. Corpse doesn't like this at all, has seen in so many animes how these situations turn out. </p><p>His symbiote's bloodlust roars louder from the recesses in his mind, and Corpse hears certain doom approaching. He doesn't want to put Sykkuno at risk, damnit, but if he leaves who knows how long he'll last? </p><p>
  <em> Plus, it might come back for Sykkuno. In this isolated, unmarked spot on their map, no one will find Sykkuno, no one can help him, no one will hear him screaming as he's dying.  </em>
</p><p>Corpse hates the situation he's placed in now. </p><p>What Corpse hates more though, is not being in control of his own body, and the thought of leaving the cave only for his mind-addled self to come back and slaughter the shit out of Sykkuno makes him want to throw up.</p><p>It doesn't matter if Sykkuno's dead or not, but knowing Sykkuno's last thoughts of him will be betrayal and hurt makes his heart ache.</p><p>And if he survives this, Corpse has to face Toast, Poki, <em> Rae</em>, has to carry more deaths on his conscience. He'll go insane with it, he <em> can't </em> let his symbiote kill Sykkuno.</p><p><em> Keep your head together Corpse, think rationally. </em>Corpse leans against the metal box, feels its vibrations through his spacesuit and clears his head, closes his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>If Corpse leaves the rock now, there's zero guarantee that he'll make it to Toast at vitals on time, a chance that he's not even there at all. If he is there, if he still can't get his symbiote under control… there's a camera right outside the office doors and he might get caught red-handed.</p><p>Toast might be a champion impostor catcher, but that doesn't make him immortal or invincible.</p><p>Worse might be having to face Poki, Rae, Sykkuno after it all, whether they figure out he was Toast's murderer or not. Poki would have another hit on her already haggard mental state, Rae would run herself raw on fumes and Sykkuno…</p><p>Sykkuno would be <em>devastated</em>.</p><p>If Corpse stays here, right outside of the box, his symbiote would most certainly tear into the compartment viciously and devour Sykkuno once they take over. This was also a no-go.</p><p>If Corpse goes into the box with Sykkuno… Although this might seem like the worst idea, the crucial part of this plan is that Corpse still holds control over his body. </p><p>All Corpse needs is physical human interaction to hopefully get back his bearings, and Sykkuno is his closest option. </p><p> </p><p>Maybe part of Corpse is selfish, knows he can just fling himself into the lava pool and end everyone's  sorrows and troubles forever, but he wants to have more of this life. </p><p>More of Toast side-eyeing him, more of laughing with Poki, more teasing with Rae, more hugs with Sykkuno. More of 5up challenging him to another round of scrabble with Hippo; he has even found Talia's rigid demeanor familiar now. </p><p>Corpse doesn't want to lose this now, not when it's just started. </p><p><em> Friends. Belonging. </em>Corpse holds this close to his heart as he exhales, unlocks the vacuum seal towards his execution. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Corpse blinks as his eyes settle into the brighter lighting of the buffer room. A white spacesuit with a sprout greeted him together with a pair of neatly placed space boots underneath it. </p><p>Sykkuno was here, no doubt about that now. </p><p>Part of Corpse was still trying to deny that this might be Sykkuno, that he was going to pull such a stunt on him, of all people. Part of him hoped this might have been someone else, anyone else. The realization rings in Corpse's mind like a gunshot, makes doubt bloom in his chest again. </p><p>Corpse can hear Sykkuno's heartbeat and breathing even louder now, feels his heart racing at all the possibilities and endings, aches with it. </p><p>He doesn't want to think of Sykkuno dying. </p><p><em> 'And I'm not going to let it happen,' </em> Corpse grinds his teeth together, shakes the doubt from his heart.  He fixates his eyes on the sprout swaying gently from the filtering fan on the ceiling. Corpse wrenches off his helmet, feels the beads of sweat drip down his neck. <em> 'Sykkuno is mine.'  </em></p><p>His symbiote growls in response, growing increasingly agitated as it surfaces in his conscience. <em> ' </em> <em> Blood! </em> <em> '  </em></p><p>Corpse pushes their screeching down again with increasing difficulty, jolts in pain at the shock that runs through his arms. <em> That bastard's still trying to overwhelm me. </em></p><p> </p><p>There really is no more time for doubt, it's the end of his rope now. </p><p> </p><p>He feels briefly apologetic for stepping into the actual room with his damp boots, but there's a humming in his blood; Corpse knows he's taking his chances with the devil and he's rapidly running out of luck.</p><p>Corpse drags his hands through his hair, opens the door with shaking fingers.</p><p>The whooshing of air as the executioner brings down his sharpened sword fills his ears as he steps through the threshold. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>*</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The first moment isn't momentous like Corpse thought it would be. He felt like a panel of a comic strip, suspended and waiting in agony, that one square of stillness as he now stands in the room with a hunched figure. </p><p>Then the door swings shut behind him, and his head explodes. </p><p> </p><p>'k̼̼̞̦̞̼̔i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘ k̼̼̞̦̞̼̔i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘ <em>k̼̼̞̦̞̼̔i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘ <strong>k̼̼̞̦̞̼̔i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘—</strong> </em>' </p><p> </p><p>Corpse bends over, feels his abdomen burning to morph into the monstrosity it had taken the form of five months ago. Corpse grits his teeth, fills his head with good memories, lingering touches, bright laughter; he pits himself against his symbiote in a metaphorical wrestling ring as they both struggle for dominance. </p><p>Both of them take on many forms; knights, commoners, beasts. They dance, they flaunt their steaming jaws, they clash their swords together in a shower of sparks. </p><p>Corpse sees the devil spectating from the stands. </p><p>Time slows in front of his eyes; Corpse tanks a fist in his guts, his abdomen feeling like it's going to boil into goo. Corpse looks up, and suddenly there's a glint of light, piercing through the eye of a needle. He sees through the ring, sees through the crowd of faceless spectators, through a brief respite from his mind. </p><p>Corpse sees Sykkuno moving his lips as his head lolls to the side. </p><p>A rush of feelings overwhelm him, and Corpse is reminded of their moments, their texts, the trust he puts in Sykkuno. </p><p>The trust Sykkuno puts in him. </p><p>Corpse rolls his shoulders, swings back his fist and punches back as hard as he can. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse comes to his senses, his body soaked in cold sweat and knees on the floor. He shivers, feels weak in his chest. Corpse looks at Sykkuno, focuses his ears on his slow, rhythmic heartbeat and trains his eyes on the moving of his chest. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno's alive. </p><p>Corpse did it. </p><p>His symbiote is still raging, somewhere distant in his mind palace, but Corpse couldn't be less bothered. To him, he's already locked that currently crazy bastard deep in the dungeons of his psyche. He counts this as a win.</p><p>Corpse slows down his heartbeat to the beat of Sykkuno's own, feels clear-headed enough to stand back up. </p><p>He strides towards Sykkuno, hearing the soft crunch of snow on the gym mats instead of his symbiote screaming at him to maim, kill, murder felt well-earned and refreshing. </p><p>Corpse kneels beside Sykkuno, listens to him mumble under his breath a little as he shuffles in his sleep. A rush of fondness surges through him, he can't help but smile.</p><p>Corpse doesn't let himself overthink; he pulls down his mask and presses a kiss to Sykkuno's forehead.</p><p> </p><p>The noise his lips make as they leave Sykkuno's skin is embarrassingly loud in the small space, but Corpse couldn't find it in himself to care. He watches Sykkuno push his head into the hand Corpse cups his jaw, and Corpse's heart clenches. </p><p>Sykkuno looks ethereal, the fluttering of his eyelids casting long shadows over his cheeks, the sleepy noise he makes as his nose touches Corpse's hand. </p><p>Corpse shakily replaces his mask, braces his body to stand and take his leave. </p><p>A sleepy voice stops him in his tracks. </p><p> </p><p>"Corpse?" </p><p>Corpse freezes, turns his head back. Sykkuno's looking at him through lidded eyes, a rosy blush spreading on his cheeks. He remains motionless as Sykkuno shifts his head in Corpse's hand again, lets out another soft noise. </p><p>"Hey," Corpse decides on, smiles behind his mask because he knows that Sykkuno will know that he is. "Don't worry, everything's alright." </p><p>"How'd you get here?" Sykkuno mumbles, tilts his head in that endearing way that has Corpse's heart racing again. </p><p>"I couldn't stay away." Corpse settles on a half truth as Sykkuno's eyes flutter shut, lolls his head back to its original position. Corpse removes his hand from Sykkuno's jaw, brushes a lock of hair from Sykkuno's eyes. "Sleep well, Sykkuno." </p><p>"Mmm, you too, Corpse," Sykkuno snuffles a bit before his breathing evens out again. Corpse gently tucks his hand to the side of his body, takes slow steps out of the room, heart pounding fiercely in his ears. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse shoves his helmet on, leaves the metal box and stares out into the falling purple snow, feels his cheeks radiating heat. He's breathless despite the fact that he was in an oxygenated compartment, flushes at how intimate that moment was. </p><p>What was Corpse thinking? Corpse closes his eyes, looks at the hand that had held Sykkuno. It seemingly glows in the purple-tinted cave; Corpse tucks his bag into his chest, resolutely tells himself to get a move-on. He retreats back the way he entered, sucks in his ribs.</p><p>
  <em>'That's the scary thing: I wasn't thinking at all.' </em>
</p><p>It feels both terrifying and exhilarating, to know that Corpse can't help but gravitate towards Sykkuno like the moon around Earth. </p><p>Corpse shoves himself further into the gap, forces himself to stop digging himself deeper into a hole he knows he can't crawl out of. </p><p>He should have known he was fucked the minute Sykkuno met his eyes with that smile and that "Mr Corpse!" four and a half months ago. </p><p>
  <em> Who is he kidding, he already did. </em>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>╔ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ╗</p><p>𝚃𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚜 𝙲𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚎: ■■■□□□□□</p><p>╚ ═ ═ ═ ═ 𝙲𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎: P̘͎̀͊O̵̷̪̰ͩ͆ͅ3̵̷̧̗͙̰̽̋͟7̨͈͇̙̤ͩ͜-B̟̈́̆̐̄̚͜L̳͈͉̅̊Ȧ̶̵̗̳-P̘͎̀͊7̨͈͇̙̤ͩ ═ ═ ═ ═ ╝</p><p>𝙻𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝙴𝚊𝚜𝚝 </p><p>𝚃𝚒𝚖𝚎: 𝟷𝟻𝚑𝚛 𝟶𝟿𝚖 𝟷𝟹𝚜, 𝙳𝚊𝚢 𝟸</p><p>𝙲𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎: 𝙶𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 [E̢̢̻ͮͧͦ͋͞͡l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧc̨̨̣̮̝̈́̔ͯ̀͂t͖͖̠̬͛ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟c̨̨̣̮̝̈́̔ͯ̀͂a͔͔̜̗̦ͩ̅̎l͖͖̰̝ͭ͘] 𝚝𝚘 [f̰̰̯͕͊̃̊͞͞͞i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟x͕͕͚͍̿̆͂͞ w̡̻̻̣͚̒̀ͅi̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟ṛ̣̬̫̍͌ͩ͟ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧs̨̞̞̰͎͎̪̩͕̈́̀ͯ̍ͧͅ] </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> A shadow swims in front of him, Sykkuno squints blurrily at it. His mind is floating, somewhere, everywhere. Sykkuno distantly recognises he's asleep and dreaming.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A warmth settles somewhere on his jaw, and Sykkuno can't help but draw closer to it, seeking the heat seeping through their body.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> A face clears in front of him. Sykkuno knows this face.  </em>
</p><p>"Corpse?" </p><p>'I must really like Corpse,'<em> Sykkuno distantly tells himself as Corpse's eyes crinkle whenever he smiles. Corpse is smiling. </em> 'For him to be appearing in my dreams.'</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Hey. Don't worry, everything's alright." </p><p>
  <em> Sykkuno knows he's in his spacesuit, he thinks he's fallen asleep in the compartment… How did Corpse get here anyway?  </em>
</p><p>"How'd you get here?" <em> After he says this, Sykkuno feels a little silly. It's his dreams, if anything, Corpse is here because Sykkuno willed him to be.  </em></p><p>"I couldn't stay away." <em> Sykkuno lets Corpse's voice roll over him, feels enchanted and lulled into a sense of security; Corpse glows like an angel under the warm lights of the room. He closes his eyes, feels a phantom touch on his hair. </em>"Sleep well, Sykkuno." </p><p>'Corpse is always so sweet, even in dreams.' <em> Sykkuno is comforted by this consistency, lets Corpse's voice embrace him into its depths.  </em></p><p>"Mmm, you too, Corpse." <em> Sykkuno hears shuffling, but his eyelids weigh down heavily and he can't find the strength to pry them open. He floats away in the velvet sea of Corpse's voice.  </em></p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sykkuno awakens to a soft beeping, feels a sore spot in his back for sleeping upright. He scrabbles blindly for his tablet, holds it up to squint at the screen. </p><p>
  <em> 'One hundred and fifty-three new messages in seven chats.' </em>
</p><p>"Hmm?" Sykkuno couldn't phantom why the crew are this active, he unlocks his tablet into their chats. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>PO37 Crewmates</b>
</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> it has been 1 hour has sykkuno been kidnapped by aliens (╥﹏╥) </p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> sykkuno please i've loved you all this time come back home</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞 (Toast):</b> Poki, you're overreacting. </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★ (Rae):</b> Toast is busy being a tsundere &gt;:P sykkuno dw me and poki still love you pls come home</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞 (Toast):</b> Guys, it's been an hour. An hour. </p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> An hour too long (╥﹏╥) </p><p>
  <em> … thirty more messages above…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>we the ganG ganG </b>
</p><p><b>(~ ˇ෴ˇ)~ 🍞 (Toast): </b>... Sykkuno I'm actually starting to feel something, where are you. </p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★ (Rae):</b> I knew it! he has to keep up his tsundere face in front of Talia lmaooo</p><p><b>Spoopki ✩*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙:</b> syk, syk, sykkkkkk :(</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★ (Rae):</b> oh no poki is using normal emojicons instead of japanese ones CODE RED BITCHES</p><p><b>Hof-star-tter ★ (Rae):</b> @Sykkuno you have a lot to answer for  D:&lt;</p><p>
  <em> … A hundred and two more messages above…  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels a shiver run down his spine. He had fallen asleep after eating his taco without replying Poki and Toast! </p><p><em> 'I was just super excited to eat my taco!' </em>Sykkuno frets; he didn't mean to make his friends worry. Sykkuno knows his private chats will be a humongous mess, decides to put those off for as long as he can. He knows Rae will rightly hand his butt to him when she meets him, but Sykkuno will take it. </p><p>What catches his eye though, are two other private chats. He enters his chat with 5up first. </p><p> </p><p><b>One turnip boi (5up):</b> Sykkuno, you doing okay? just thought I'd check in if you're not gonna talk to Poki or Rae rn </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> I'm super okay 5up! thanks for asking :D I just kinda fell asleep, haha… </p><p> </p><p>The second chat is Corpse's, and Sykkuno opens it with an weird sense of trepidation in his chest. </p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> hey Sykkuno, how are you? </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> totally get it if u dw to talk to me, no stress :) </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> hey Corpse! </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> no no, I just fell asleep haha :D</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Instantly, his chat with Corpse chimes. Sykkuno finds himself eagerly unlocking his tablet to read their chat. </p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> sweet dreams? ;) </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno flushes; he has an inkling of what he dreamt of, and he's definitely not sharing it with Corpse. </p><p> </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> yes :D</p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> thank youu</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> i'm glad </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> poki and rae are worrying themselves half to death in the office while toast is pretending he's not glimpsing at his tablet every thirty seconds </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> you could meet us here :) </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno feels a laugh bubble out of his lips even though he knows Rae is literally his personal harbinger of doom right now. </p><p> </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> please help me beg for mercy with Rae Corpse D:</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> Sykkuno as much i adore u rae would deck the absolute shit out of me</p><p> </p><p><em> 'Corpse adores me?' </em> Sykkuno feels a blush build in his cheeks, he rubs his neck in embarrassment. <em> 'Adores.'  </em></p><p>Sykkuno doesn't let himself overthink, focuses back on the conversation. </p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> the reason she hasn't stolen my tablet to scream at u yet is cause im hiding in admin</p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> Corpse D:</p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> oh would you look at that rae is coming</p><p> </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> <em>Corpse I adore you to…|</em></p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> <em>Corps…|</em> </p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse): </b>bye Sykkuno </p><p><b>Sykkuwu:</b> Corpse D':</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Sykkuno hurls his tablet into his bag in mortification, face aflame as he hurriedly picks himself up and out of the compartment to meet Rae's wrath. <em> 'Oh god, why did I almost send that; Sykkuno, what are you doing—' </em></p><p>He misses the damp patches of water on the dark gym mattresses as he shuts the door behind him, stewing in his thoughts. The ventilation fans stop spinning and the humming of the box stops, preserves words left unsaid. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> <em>slept well? ;)...|</em></p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> <em>sle…|</em></p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse): </b>sweet dreams? ;) </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> <em>Sykkuno as much i love u rae…|</em></p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> <em>Sykkuno as m…|</em></p><p> </p><p><b>DEAD INSIDE xo (Corpse):</b> Sykkuno as much i adore u rae would deck the absolute shit out of me</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno gets knocked the absolute shit off his feet with hugs the minute he steps into the office and Corpse has never wheezed harder in his life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Corpse wins... for now ;^D </p><p>Sykkuno is specified to be semi-oblivious for a reason xD </p><p>Hope the texts weren't too cringy and captured their dynamics right; Poki just really seemed like the kind of human to be using japanese emojicons :^]</p><p> </p><p>p.s. I really wanted to join the Christmas discord exchange, but guess who has patchy Internet and shrinks from human interaction; there's also other ideas I want to write for y'all, so I had to give it a pass :&lt; </p><p>I'm excited to see what works will come out from the exchange, and good luck to any of you guys who are participating! Can't wait to see all your fruits of labour &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Minor Resolution</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>tw: process of griefing and brief descriptions of being disssociated from mind/body</p><p>^^please proceed w caution!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We're nearing the end soon!! Thank you for all the support!!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next two days were spent in caution and trepidation, though there was a sense of normalcy as the rest of them finished their tasks gradually. Corpse held over Rae the fact that he finished earlier than her despite her protests of, "I was being a good friend, <em>CORPSE</em>. Otherwise I would have been done long before you have," and Toast lorded over everyone with the fact that he was the fastest of them all. </p><p>Things weren't all sunshine and rainbows, definitely. Talia and Rae did have their screaming match on the third day, throwing accusations and busting theories. Rae had gone into berserker mode the minute Talia arranged 'suspicious' and 'Poki' in a sentence; Toast and 5up had to step in to diffuse the situation. By the end of the meeting, Poki's eyes were rimmed red and 5up looked like he was going to explode from frustration.</p><p>He had dismissed everyone to their rooms immediately and said that no visitations were allowed that night. </p><p>Multiple lights sabotages also threw a wrench in between Hippo and Sykkuno as Hippo pointed out that Sykkuno was never in the area of Electrical every single time and didn't bother to inform in the group chat he couldn't make it. Corpse supposes this is Wendy's, no, Wendy's symbiote's way of getting back at him and his symbiote. Sort of, he's pretty sure Wendy's body is dead but maybe this was pre-programmed by Wendy's symbiote. A sly thing, they sure are. </p><p> </p><p>("Guys, I'm just pointing this out as something I want to share," <em>Hippo insists calmly as Toast and Rae glared daggers into the back of her head. Corpse doesn't lift his head; he fears his eyes will glow red if he does.</em> "Sykkuno's pathing is patchy and you guys defending him without definitive proof doesn't help his situation." </p><p>"Guys, guys, it's alright… Hippo's made a good observation," <em>Sykkuno has been running himself thin trying to act as their emotional meditator, and even until now with his neck under the chopping block, he's still pleading at the townsfolk not to condemn his executioner. </em></p><p>"I was with Sykkuno most of the time," <em>Corpse feels the words slip from his lips easily, he watches Sykkuno whip his head over to look at him. Corpse ignores it, meets Hippo's eyes with his own.</em> "I'd be dead by now if he was the Imposter." </p><p>
  <em>Corpse was only around for about half the time, honestly speaking, but he believes in Sykkuno. 'Not that there's much dispute who's the imposter; for me, at least,' Corpse scoffs internally. Hippo squints at him critically, before questioning them both if Corpse is vouching for Sykkuno and vice versa. </em>
</p><p><em>Sykkuno had smiled gratefully at him as the conversation moved on, and Corpse likes to think it means something.</em>)</p><p> </p><p>It was the fourth day, and Sykkuno was the only one with tasks left by the afternoon. Everyone, including Talia ("Don't think I'm actually interested in hyping the mood; I just don't want to be alone and ripe for the imposter to pick off."), accompanied Sykkuno as he went around to fix his leftover wires and collect his sitting sample. The happy cheering as Sykkuno stepped out of top decontamination and Hippo confirming that all maintenance tasks were indeed completed made Sykkuno's shoulders sag in relief. </p><p>As they guided their way out of the laboratory and towards the ship after a long journey, Sykkuno felt himself being conspiringly pulled behind by Poki as Corpse and Hippo were passionately caught up in a conversation about anime. Talia was, surprisingly, chiming in her opinions too. ("Absolutely scandalous, Hippo, the betrayal—" "No, Corpse, Talia, listen—") </p><p> </p><p>"So," Poki drawled in his ear as Toast and Rae grinned from behind her shoulders. "How d'ya think Corpse did?"</p><p>Sykkuno blinks, non-puzzled. "Corpse? He did okay for his first time here, I guess…?" </p><p>Rae whacks Sykkuno in the shoulder and Sykkuno lets out a puff of air at the unexpected contact. "No, you dummy, it's for the Offline gang!"</p><p>Sykkuno gasps, places a hand over his mouth in shock as he stares at the three of them. "W-wait, you guys were serious? I only said it as a joke, guys—" </p><p> </p><p>("Hey guys, you know what would be cool?" <em>Sykkuno watches as Rae and Poki turn from their cuddling on the couch, and Toast from his Hearthstone game at his desk.</em> "What would be, Sykkuno?" </p><p>"Yeah, <em>SYKKUNO</em>, what??" <em>Rae aggressively responds, fistbumps Poki when Sykkuno stutters on his words. Toast snorts at their antics, continues to tap on his keyboard. </em></p><p><em>Sykkuno soldiers on despite Rae's teasing.</em> "I-It would be super cool if Corpse joined Offline!") </p><p> </p><p>Toast steamrollers over his incredulous spluttering, holds his hand out for a mock silence with a twitching eyelid on his sombre face. "After having a group chat and interacting with crewmate Corpse Husband for four and a half months; his trial lasted for two and a half—" </p><p>Rae picks up after Toast with a huge smile stretched across her face, "and we're proud to announce that—" </p><p>Poki, Rae and Toast whisper-chime together as Sykkuno finally finds his bearings back, "Corpse has officially been accepted to the Offline House!"</p><p>Sykkuno's brain stops again. </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno could only stare numbly as Toast tucks a cream envelope into one of his many pockets on his spacesuit with a knowing smirk on his face. "And you, Sykkuno, the person who referred this recommendation, will have the honour of passing it to your chosen applicant yourself!"</p><p>Poki pats his helmet while Rae pats the envelope in his pocket. </p><p>"Good luck, Sykkuno!" They chorused like a choir. Before Sykkuno could comprehend what had happened again, they all skipped off, leaving him alone. </p><p>Only when his mind finally caught up to the events did Sykkuno run after his friends frantically, almost tripping over his own feet. "Guys, oh my god, this better not be a prank—" </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno's heart beats faster at the thought of handing the envelope to Corpse; this puts everything in a whole new spin, means that he and Corpse might be staying together for even longer after this trip's debriefing in the MIRA HQ by Corporal Charles. </p><p>Sykkuno tries not to read too hard into the way his hand clenches over the pocket containing the said envelope as he finally sees his friends' shadows on the floor of the hallway. </p><p>"Guys, wait!" </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Corpse sits back down on his sleeping pod alone, having done an hour of manual piloting before Rae ushered him away from the navigation deck; she said something about <em>'meeting your loverboy'</em> with a sharp grin on her face and Corpse didn't bother looking back. His gaze falls on the plant sitting on his bedside table. </p><p>Sykkuno had brought him a succulent from the space greenhouse nursery and rambled on for ages after Corpse, out of curiosity, asked him how the sprout on his helmet survives without oxygen. <em>'Maybe MIRA's autopiloting features have some use after all.'</em> Corpse reflects as he remembers Sykkuno smiling at him widely, chest heaving from having talked so much. </p><p> </p><p>"Woah, slow down, take a breath," <em>Corpse laughs as Sykkuno leans his back onto his sleeping pod on the floor. Sykkuno inhales and tips his head, shows off the pale expense of his neck; Corpse throat goes dry, guides his eyes to the carpet and picks at a stray thread instead. </em></p><p><em>Sykkuno's voice is still a little winded when he speaks again,</em> "I hope I'm not boring you, Corpse." </p><p>"No, don't worry Sykkuno, you're not," <em>Corpse smiles as he props his head on his hand, rests his elbow on his knee.</em> "I've learnt a lot about space sustainability today." </p><p><em>Sykkuno's eyes flicker from his for a bit as he beams at him and Corpse knows he won't hesitate to hand this gorgeous man anything he asked for.</em> "I had a lot of fun talking with you too!" </p><p><em>Corpse uncrosses his legs, gently places the succulent he's had in his lap for the past hour or two onto his nightstand.</em> "I'll walk you back, Toast threatened that you had to be back by seven." <em>Sykkuno's twisting his hands in thought. </em></p><p>"W-What? Toast said that?" <em>Sykkuno almost trips over his own two feet while rising up and instinctively, Corpse places a hand under his elbow in support and braces his body. He feels a hand curl on his forearm and gets a beaming smile in return.</em> "T-Thanks, Corpse!" </p><p>"No worries," <em>Corpse reassures, uses his other hand to open his door into the hallway. He tells his heart to stop jolting for the umpteenth time; it turns a deaf ear to his pleas. Corpse clears his throat instead.</em> "Toast said something about making sure you eat on time." </p><p>"Ah, I may have a slight problem…" <em>Sykkuno scratches his cheeks as they shuffle down the hallway together; Corpse knows it's a nervous tick of his. </em></p><p>
  <em>Corpse also thinks he looks too much at Sykkuno if he notices these things so effortlessly. </em>
</p><p>"I kinda lose track of time easily? Toast really emphasises on having consistent mealtimes, so we have this."</p><p>"Oh, Sykkuno," <em>Corpse tsked in reproach as they stopped outside Sykkuno's shared room door.</em> "Sykkuno."</p><p>
  <em>To be fair, before his symbiote entered his body, he never really stuck to proper meals and mealtimes either; however, what Sykkuno doesn't know won't hurt him. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>'At least, it hasn't so far.' Corpse comments to himself dryly. Sykkuno flushes, opens his mouth to protest but someone else beats him to it. </em>
</p><p>"Who goes there?" <em>A reedy, scratchy voice floated through the crack of the door in front of them. Corpse remembers putting a hand on Sykkuno's bicep as he jumps a little. </em></p><p>"Poki? Is that you?" <em>Sykkuno laughed as he presses his unoccupied hand to the metal door.</em> "W-Why do you sound like that?" </p><p>
  <em>Corpse can't help but laugh along, lets an embarrassingly long string of giggles pour from his lips. Sykkuno looks at him with stars in his eyes, and Corpse? Corpse is a weak man. He feels like he's about to get an aneurysm with the way Sykkuno is being so… Sykkuno.</em>
</p><p>"Ah, ah, I see you've brought back our boy!" <em>Poki crooned as she flung open the door with a wide grin; Corpse hears Toast call monotonously from inside the room.</em> "Poki, leave me out of this conversation." </p><p>"Wha—" </p><p><em>Corpse played along, slowly drawled out his words.</em> "Back before curfew, fine madam, as promised." <em>He gives Poki a wink as he bows, and she had looked like she's about to burst as she turned towards a flustered Sykkuno. </em></p><p>"Well now, he really needs to have dinner now, so please excuse us," <em>Poki flutters her eyelashes rapidly as she pulls Sykkuno into the room while he's still spluttering.</em> "Kind sir." <em>She returns his wink with a teasing smile but Corpse couldn't find it in himself to care.</em> </p><p><em>Corpse turns to leave but Sykkuno dashes to the door again, and Corpse stops.</em> </p><p>"Bye, Corpse," <em>Sykkuno laughs breathlessly. Poki mimes obnoxious kissy lips behind his shoulder and Corpse has to hold in his laughter. His heart blooms with affection for all these people he's known for barely four months, for his friends. </em></p><p>"See you, Sykkuno."</p><p> </p><p>Something in Corpse's mind stirs, and Corpse's back involuntarily tenses. They must be back. </p><p>His symbiote rouses, brainwaves him broken gibberish as it works to formulate words again after five days. </p><p><em>Being close to home triggered something in me.</em> His symbiote sulks out after painstakingly long minutes. <em>I was reminded of certain traditions, as you'd call it, that made me lose control, in a sense. It also meant to aid me in my alleged 'mission' too, naturally.</em></p><p>"Doesn't matter. It's not your fault." His symbiote silences in him before he feels a phantom weight on his shoulder. </p><p><em>You're sad.</em> His symbiote observes. <em>You're angry, too, to some extent. </em></p><p>"Yeah, I am," Corpse vocalises into their room. "To be fair, I've had to burden the knowledge of knowing who the killers are, and now I have to live with knowing I could have saved Ludwig but I chose my own skin instead." </p><p><em>Survival of the fittest, Host, you did what you had to do.</em> Corpse leans his head back onto the wall at their words, lets out a bitter laugh. "No, I didn't. I did what was selfish." </p><p>
  <em>It's not selfish, though it is a pity Host's sleeping buddy is dead. Sleeping buddy would have made a good Host too, with the energy.</em>
</p><p>Corpse knows by now what his symbiote believes is a compliment and he doesn't fight his symbiote on his phrasing of acknowledging Ludwig. It's not like Ludwig will be vulnerable to be anyone's host anymore. </p><p>He also knows that his symbiote's wording is on purpose, <em>'sleeping buddy'</em>; Corpse supposed that they've never had experiences with roomies before, but also about Sykkuno. </p><p>"You're not getting a rise out of me this way, ass." Corpse lies down in his pod, dismisses the pop-up to activate his personalised sleep cycle program. It's not the most helpful, but Corpse acknowledges it fulfils his needs to be focused enough to ensure he doesn't kill everyone while piloting.</p><p>If push comes to shove, on the difficult days sleeping pills get the job done.</p><p>"I'm still selfish by the way, and it's not the self-deprecation thing speaking."</p><p><em>I already have,</em> his symbiote smugly curls around the area of his collarbones. <em>Also, it's contradictory to be selfish and self-deprecating, Host, unless their definitions have changed. </em></p><p>"Humans are complex like that, you won't understand," Corpse feels briefly annoyed by his symbiote, before reminding himself that he knows nothing about them. Maybe they did know more than they let on. "I don't even know myself."</p><p> </p><p>He rubs his eyes, careful not to smudge his eyeliner. He pulls his knees up, stretches them with the yoga exercises MIRA implemented in their basic courses. Corpse doesn't want to hit the gym right now, he's pretty sure the room's air has a thick layer of dust and that would be nasty to clean up.</p><p>Besides the facilities in there are of the bare minimum and it's not like MIRA will replace them anytime soon.</p><p><em>Host is angry because Host… couldn't save sleeping buddy. Host is sad because sleeping buddy is dead, my species' host as well. </em>His symbiote muses in his head still.</p><p>"I'm angry because of more things than that, I think. But that's the thing, I don't know what my reasons are," Corpse lifts both legs upright and feels his throat going hoarse with all the verbal talking. His heart convulses against all the memories, feelings, perceptions. Corpse doesn't know what is what, and why is why. </p><p><em>'I just am. The reasons for my sadness are much easier to identify.'</em> His symbiote hums, makes their tangible presence down to his abdomen. <em>I believe that sadness is much harder to vocalise and explain than anger. Anger is easy, anger is quick most of the time. Sadness festers painfully, can manifest from multiple sources or maybe none.</em></p><p>
  <em>Human complexities are difficult, and no emotion is stronger or weaker than another. It is just the situation in which the feelings spawn that make them more prominent or memorable. Sadness stands out more to me based on my experience. </em>
</p><p><em>'Thanks for making me more confused,'</em> Corpse snarks, continues with the yoga exercises as his symbiote stays silent. After he finishes his thirty minutes worth of exercise, he pushes himself out of his pod. No fun getting his sheets sweaty for sleeping with his already fucked up schedule, and no way in hell is he going to steal Ludwig's sheets.</p><p> </p><p>Corpse hasn't stepped into Ludwig's side of the room every time he retired to rest since his death. Ludwig's pillow is still crooked, still slightly yellowed in one patch from the green tea he spilt after boarding Skeld for a mere day; an edge of his comforter remained untucked. Corpse still expects Ludwig to come back to his sleeping pod for some reason when he knows what's left of Ludwig is in a jar in Med Bay. </p><p>Corpse feels his throat swell up for a different reason, knows his symbiote is trying not to panic. For all their intelligence, they become pathetic every time Corpse's throat flares up, something about it being painful to an extent that his symbiote thinks he's in mortal peril. It's quite amusing actually, but Corpse doesn't want to act like a prick who gets off on others demise.</p><p><em>When I'm panicking about dying, Host finds it amusing.</em> His symbiote brainwaves a mock-annoyed fist in his mind after Corpse manages to get a packet of water in his body and his emotions steady. <em>Host is a prick that gets off on others demise.</em></p><p><em>'Hey, use your own words,'</em> Corpse is grateful for the distraction, and Corpse knows his symbiote knows. Corpse hates that he's running as far as he can but Corpse doesn't think he's ready to face those emotions right now. He trashes his drink, decides to do something about it; better than having to talk it out.</p><p>He opens a file on his tablet that he hadn't visited in a long while. </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Stkkuno sags on the stool he'd been doing his basic workout exercises, feeling a bit empty on the inside. Some part of him has probably registered by now that Ludwig will not be strolling down the hallways with that smile on his face, nor Wendy silently reading in the corner of the common room in the armchair she called her own.</p><p>Some part of him finally realised they were gone, and they weren't coming back after the three days of leaving Polus behind. </p><p>Sykkuno is distantly aware of someone entering the room, and steels himself to turn around with a smile. A firm hand landing on his shoulder, however, beat him to it. </p><p> </p><p>"Sykkuno," Rae had chosen to come at a time where Toast would have to do routine write-ups to Headquarters in Admin. She's always been smart and sly like that. "How are you feeling?" </p><p>Rae, for as loud and boisterous as she presents herself, becomes quiet and sensitive when getting down to business. Sykkuno feels his eyes well up with tears and soundlessly scrubs them away. </p><p>Rae doesn't say anything either, just watches him, hands on her knees as she squats to meet his eye. Toast would have hit him with this conversation too, sooner or later; Sykkuno doesn't know if it's better with Rae or Toast.</p><p>"I'm feeling… A little sad," Sykkuno gives her what he knows at best is a wobbly smile, knows from her steely look that she isn't buying into his narrative. "A little tired too, but otherwise coping alright." </p><p>Rae looked like every word she said was going to pain her. "Sykkuno, you don't look too well and you know it." </p><p>"I'm fine, Rae." He watches Rae shuffle on her feet, rocking her body as she waits for Sykkuno to give in. Sykkuno doesn't know what for.</p><p> </p><p><em>Liar, liar, you know what she's waiting for.</em> </p><p>Sykkuno knows and tells himself that he never wants to hold anyone back. He feels it the most acutely with his grandmother, with Toast; Before he was known as CYA-01, before he was Toast at all. A long time ago.</p><p>Sykkuno knows he's not, but he isn't sure of it for everyone either. It's best not to assume. </p><p> </p><p>Rae's hand on his calf brings him back to the Skeld. </p><p>"Sykkuno, did you know Poki's been having nightmares every night since the first day of our expedition?" </p><p>Sykkuno jolts, looks at Rae numbly. Poki's been having nightmares? Poki, who's been smiling and up at seven in the morning and sorting all the experimental abnormalities dutifully? Poki, who's laughter rings in the Skeld hallways in front of him as the four of them walk to the cafeteria together?</p><p>"I didn't even know myself until I woke up early in the morning after we left Polus and heard her crying." Sykkuno looks down, thinks he may be dissociating a bit as he bites his lip.</p><p>He feels skin give but it lacks pain.</p><p> </p><p>"It's been tough, Sykkuno, we know. Unlike Toast and 5up, the rest of us are fresh to fatalities too. Let alone one of them actually being our friend since we stepped into this business. I never realised just how lucky we were until we weren't. " </p><p>Sykkuno feels guilt crawling up his arms like spiders, centipedes; he chokes on it. I've been a terrible friend, Poki.</p><p>"Don't think you've been a bad friend." Rae always seems to know too, when he digs himself with reproach. He looks down to see Rae remove his right hand from his thigh and the light crescent indents in his skin. </p><p>Her lively eyes are lined with tears clinging we'll and glittering like diamonds. Sykkuno feels his heart wrench. "Don't feel guilty, I had no idea Poki was suffering like she was for a while too. She's good at hiding it. "</p><p>"We all look fine, but I dream of Wendy every night and Toast is playing Hearthstone in VR to cope." Sykkuno knows, and he's pretty sure Toast knows that he knows; it's hard to ignore a holographic settings manual glowing in the dark and a clunky VR headgear set on Toast's nightstand every other night. </p><p> </p><p>"I don't—" <em>I don't want to be burdening you guys with my feelings, I—</em> Sykkuno's voice gets stuck in his throat, he just looks at Rae and hope she understands. </p><p>Rae stands up, stares him straight in his eyes with resolve that Sykkuno hopes he might be able to show one day. Her hand was like a beacon around his wrist. "We can't fight each others' battles with grief, but we can be here for each of us as friends, supporters." </p><p> </p><p>"Fight your battle, Sykkuno, we'll be right next to you. Your tears aren't a burden to us. " </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno barely manages to take Rae's hands in his before he feels the first of his tears roll down his face. </p><p>Toast and Poki dog-piled into their hug soon after and all of them had missed lunch.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"This feeling will get better soon, it will go away slowly. I promise." </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Corpse sits up from the navigation deck as he hears the door open. His symbiote brainwaves him amusement before they vanish from his conscience, giving him a sense of privacy. </p><p>Corpse is grateful and knows he'll get shit from his symbiote when he sees a white helmet and a hesitant smile. </p><p>"C-Corpse! I hope I'm not intruding!" Sykkuno gingerly tiptoed his way through the slight mess of maps Corpse was sorting MIRA's archives. In his hands, he held a rehydrated, toasted sandwich and two drinks, one larger than the other. </p><p>"5up said he brought you a salad the other day here, so I assumed that this is one of those places we can deactivate our helmets… Right? Um—"</p><p> </p><p>Corpse smiles, Sykkuno was much sharper than others gave him credit for. "Yeah, you're right, Sykkuno. You're not intruding either, I'm just physically printing and sorting new courses from MIRA's most updated database." </p><p>Sykkuno mouth falls open into an 'o' as he sets down the food and drinks on a ledge, eyes taking in the mess. "For the weekly assessment once we get back to MIRA?"</p><p>Corpse nods; all MIRA astronauts have to go through basic fitness reassessments and specified refresher test for the courses the chose to specialise in. Any MIRA cadet who fails these refresher tests even after getting their certificate from the STP can be suspended or revoked from expeditions. </p><p>Corpse stacks up the maps hastily, clears a space near the ledge for the two of them. Sykkuno had already deactivated his helmet and held his helmet in this lap, the sprout swaying from the movement as Sykkuno placed the food items in their little circle. </p><p>"I got you a smoothie… You only drink those around people so I got that but you can have this sandwich if you want!" </p><p>Corpse heart skips a beat at the prospect Sykkuno is offering. Sykkuno seems to have realised what he said too, and his hands are up again away from his food, shaking in mild mortification. </p><p>"I-I'm sorry! If you're uncomfortable with— Um, forget it, please forget that…" Corpse gives Sykkuno a smile as he finally peels his helmet off his head and sits opposite him, hopes it's enough to reassure. </p><p>"No worries, Sykkuno." </p><p> </p><p>They ate, Sykkuno nibbling on the sandwich and Corpse sipping his smoothie. Corpse's eyes fix on Sykkuno's light nibbling, and he feels his throat close. </p><p>His symbiote brainwaves amusement again before Corpse banishes them out of his mind. </p><p>Sykkuno must have caught him staring though, and holds the rest of it out in a tentative smile, his eyes averted as he sips his drink. "You've been looking at it, right? Y-You can have the rest!" </p><p>There's still an awkward air around them; Sykkuno must still be embarrassed from earlier, Corpse surmised. Right now, Corpse needs to reassure Sykkuno that he doesn't mind showing Sykkuno his face.</p><p>He gently places a hand over Sykkuno's wrist. Both of them had peeled off their gloves to eat and Corpse feels the quickening pulse under his hand. "Sykkuno, look at me."</p><p> </p><p>Brown eyes meet his own, and Corpse feels a streak of inspiration flash in his mind. "Sykkuno, close your eyes."</p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno tilts his head, gives a quizzical look still laced with slight apprehension before he closes them. Corpse watches the slight tremble of Sykkuno's lips and doesn't think there's any better way to show his trust than this right now. </p><p>Corpse hooks down his mask and takes a bite out the sandwich still held in Sykkuno's hand. </p><p> </p><p>The bite rings crisply in the deck and Sykkuno's posture stiffens, Corpse can feel his pulse thudding wildly under his fingertips. Corpse retracts his hand from Sykkuno's wrist, wipes his mouth with one of the serviettes Sykkuno brought and puts back on his mask.</p><p>He tucks the remaining mush of sandwich into his cheeks to get out a coherent, if not a bit muffled, "thank you." </p><p>Sykkuno opens his eyes and Corpse sees sheer surprise reflected through the brown. Sykkuno and him continued to stare at each other for a while until Sykkuno lets out a noise somewhat similar to a squeak. </p><p>Corpse laughs as he watches the metaphorical steam leak out of Sykkuno's ears, his brain visibly going into overdrive. </p><p>His face is reddening and his blush gorgeously complements his skin tone, all traces of embarrassment and hesitation erased from his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>"C-Corpse?" Sykkuno's other hand is held over his mouth as he directs his eyes to the sandwich, one bite bigger than the rest and his eyes comically big. "D-Did you just—" </p><p>"Sykkuno." Sykkuno's head whips up to meet his eyes and Corpse smiles at him, the biggest and most endearing one he's got. "I don't mind at all." </p><p>He lets Sykkuno interpret it however, sips his smoothie with satisfied swallows as Sykkuno continues to eat his sandwich, flush still visible near his neck and collarbones. Silence sits in the air around them but it's not awkward, just mildly companionable as Corpse watches Sykkuno finish the last of his drink, flush now settled down. </p><p>Sykkuno catches him staring and turns red again; Corpse can't help but giggle at that, watches Sykkuno's nose scrunch up in mock indignation before he laughs along as well, his hand barely over his mouth with how hard he's shaking. </p><p> </p><p>"Corpse, you can't do something like that!" That's what comes out of Sykkuno's mouth once they've both caught their breaths. </p><p>Corpse smirks behind his mask, shoots Sykkuno a challenging look. "Oh yeah?" </p><p>Sykkuno seems to shrink a little but still rises to his challenge, gestures at Corpse. "I could have opened my eyes! Someone else could have walked in!" </p><p>Corpse smoothly catches Sykkuno's hands in his. He's getting better at it, ability comes with practise after all. "None of it happened, Sykkuno, so..?" </p><p>Sykkuno splutters a little, brings their hands apart as he holds a finger up to himself. "I could have looked! I most definitely could have opened my eyes!" </p><p>"You didn't." Corpse picks up his smoothie off the floor, slurps up the rest of it under his mask. "I trust you." </p><p>Corpse listens to Sykkuno stutter, his flush back in full force as he compresses their trash into the vacuum bag that comes with every meal. Corpse hands over his now empty cup, their fingers touch each another again. </p><p>Corpse watches Sykkuno seal the bag and they meet each other's eyes again. Corpse panics internally, asks the first thing that pops into mind. </p><p>"What's up with Rae screaming bloody murder and looking like a panda every morning?" </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno laughs, clearly surprised by this turn of events as he curls his arms around his helmet again. Corpse feels fondness twist in his chest as Sykkuno tells him about Rae joining Toast and 5up in Hearthstone, how Toast constantly goads her on and 5up advises her on. Sykkuno talks about Poki having to drag Rae to bed, how Rae's been agonising over how to defeat a certain monster for the past two days. </p><p>"No surprise there, she's a stubborn bitch," Corpse comments once Sykkuno retells today morning's events at the cafeteria. "Once you throw her a bone she'll drag your whole skeleton into her jaws." </p><p>Sykkuno giggles, whispers into the space between them. "Don't let Rae hear that. She says playing competitively helps her destress." </p><p>Sykkuno's face falls into something a bit more sombre, and Corpse shifts the smile on his face. "She says it helps her, a bit, with Ludwig and W-Wendy." </p><p> </p><p>Corpse knows there's a heavier aura around them now as Sykkuno bites his lips, looks hesitantly at him. </p><p>"Rae said something along the lines of <em>'it's better to talk it out with people'</em>." </p><p>Corpse shares something too, lets the words slip out of his mouth easily. "I don't talk that much, but does writing music count?" </p><p> </p><p>Sykkuno looks up at him, eyes a little taken back. Corpse sees Sykkuno's arms tighten around his helmet as he leans forward. "You write music? How is it like?" </p><p>Corpse clears his throat, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I do. It helps, in its own way. With… all this."</p><p>He wonders if his music will scare Sykkuno away a little, an inherently darker side of him his symbiote also hasn't made contact with yet.</p><p>Sykkuno's eyes have lightened up and his smile is wide and honest as he asks if he can hear Corpse's music someday. </p><p>"Sure," Corpse agrees readily. "When this next one is up to my expectations, I guess." Corpse looks down at the ground, notices something as his heart aches. </p><p> </p><p>"Sykkuno, your hands are shaking." Corpse takes Sykkuno's hand in his, feels his wild heartbeat in his pulse. He lets his hands do whatever, looks Sykkuno in the eye. </p><p>"A-Ah, I'm still a bit emotional about it all… I'm—" Corpse gives him a look, hopes it conveys clearly with the squeeze of his fingers. </p><p>
  <em>Don't apologise for having feelings, Sykkuno. </em>
</p><p>"T-This is embarrassing, I'm," a sniff, and Sykkuno retracts a hand to wipe his eyes with a brittle smile. "I'm being really uncool right now, aren't I?" </p><p>Corpse pats Sykkuno's knee gently as Sykkuno gets his bearings back with more light sniffles. </p><p>"You could never be uncool to me, Sykkuno."</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>On the fifth day of being onboard Skeld, Corpse joins Toast, Poki, Rae and Sykkuno in the cafeteria for lunch. He sees the heavier shade of brown in Poki's eyes, the light eye bags under both Rae's and Toast's eyes, the imperceptible quiver of Sykkuno's lip if the conversation gets too grim. It helps him a little, to know they're comforting each other together as one. </p><p>On the fifth evening, Rae corners Corpse into shields and demands complete honesty of his feelings or she'll leak their texts about cat ears. Corpse acquiesces; he ends up making Rae have an emotional cryfest and having to drag her back to their shared rooms instead. The weight against his chest feels a little lighter after that.  </p><p>On the sixth afternoon, Sykkuno brings his space sustainability notes and folders to study in the navigation deck; Corpse is a weak man and lets him. They spend the rest of their time focusing on their respective tasks until Toast ushers them to eat with a teasing grin on his face. Sykkuno mumbled something about not wanting to be caught in non-conventional studying methods before Toast tucks his neck under an arm and muffles his words. </p><p>Corpse's laughter feels lighter on his tongue as they head towards the cafeteria to grab food for everyone else, all who have piled up in the common room for an impromptu movie night suggested by Hippo. </p><p> </p><p>On the eighth night, Corpse is still manning the navigation deck as the noise in the ship settles into the white silence that only sleep brings. They were bound to land on Earth in about three hours and Corpse would rather them not die from autopiloting just before they reached MIRA Headquarters. Insomnia keeps him up tonight, so there is really no trouble for him to be up and about.</p><p>Corpse stands up from the deck, knows he has to visit the bathroom and hydrate himself. He takes his time, walks through the empty hallways and flickering lights, feels a vague sense of privacy seep into his bones for the first time in forever. </p><p>Corpse lets down his guard and doesn't notice the figure beside the vending machine, accidentally bumps into them. </p><p>"Hippo, really—" Corpse tears his eyes from the ground, sees Talia's surprised face before it settles into mild disinterest. "Oh, Corpse." </p><p>"Talia," Corpse greets back, raises an eyebrow at the casual exercise clothes Talia is wearing and the sheen of sweat that glints off the dimmed lights. "What's got you working such a sweat?" </p><p>Corpse had purely meant the question to be of polite interaction purposes, phrase it deliberately so it could be interpreted as rhetorical. He never expected Talia to answer as she retrieves her drink from the bottom of the machine. "Doing yoga. Before you berate me about not wearing the appropriate attire beyond our rooms, everyone does this." </p><p>"I know; I'm one of those everyones." </p><p>Talia snorts, clearly also caught off-guard by his responding answer. She flips her drink in the air before unscrewing it and Corpse feels a sense of deja vu from his first day on Polus. </p><p>Corpse meets Talia's eyes on the reflective glass display as he keys in the corresponding code for his drink; he feels her gaze bore into his back as he bends down to retrieve his drink. </p><p> </p><p>Talia steps in front of him as he straightens up from getting his drink. "So, has Hofstetter hit you with the 'you must release your feelings through heart-to-heart' talk?" </p><p>Corpse feels a laugh leave his lips unbidden. Talia's eyes hold another spark of interest as Corpse waves his free hand around. "Yeah, though it ended up with her releasing her feelings instead." </p><p>Talia gives him an amused look, she busies herself with some cooldown exercises in the hallway as she continues to speak. "Me, 5up and Hippo have taken to alternative methods, if you will." </p><p>Corpse reminds himself of one of the things he set out to achieve as a personal goal. To care for people beyond just colleagues, to get to know them and be friends. Corpse knows he's not going to get another chance like this, especially not with someone rather defensive like Talia. He tilts his head, responds, "Hit me with it." </p><p> </p><p>Talia tells Corpse about her daily study sessions with 5up for their reevaluation tests, the way 5up is drowning himself in paperwork and effort beyond his necessary role during work hours. During his spare time, 5up takes to playing various strategic games and Hearthstone with Toast. </p><p>Corpse knew 5up was a good crewmate, good to be awarded a one-star rank and automatic captaincy in a standard crew but he guessed he had assumed 5up might have been used to deaths that him having coping outlets is unexpected.</p><p>"It's weird, isn't it?" Corpse looks at Talia's smile as she sips her drink under the hallway lighting. "For 5up to be just as affected as we are." </p><p>"He is human, after all." </p><p>"Not what the rumours believe in, at least." Corpse knows of the terrifying reputation 5up brings along with him, comes hand in hand with his countless strategies and crazy-efficient Imposter apprehending methods. 5up is also not against sacrificing certain crewmates to ensure the survival of the majority. </p><p>Corpse thinks, in a way, humanity is much more horrifying than the unknown. </p><p>"5up is a good guy for the most of it," Talia holds a hand up to her neck and a distant look in her eyes. "However, if it comes down to lives, 5up is ruthless to ensure the crewmates survive." Talia moves her hand in one swift motion over her neck; Corpse feels a chill run down his spine and the hand around his drink involuntarily clenches.</p><p>"That's what earned him his one-star rank." </p><p> </p><p>"But enough about 5up." Talia continues, about how Hippo sings her heart out every night with her snuck-in karaoke microphone to romance anime OSTs, often overcome by emotions and blubbering about the complexities of relationships in the animes by the end of it. Talia calms her down by taking them through yoga with musical scores from animes; it's obvious that she's passionate about it, the way her eyes shine with a steely determination as she talks. </p><p>Talia also talks about Ludwig and Wendy, the small memories like how Wendy would quirk her lips and refuse her politely when Talia asks her if she wants to join their yoga sessions or when Ludwig sits with them even though he has no context of the anime's episode or attachment to the characters. </p><p>He would always point out the unrealistic details and 'dumb' parts which Hippo will huff and defend it, saying it's for character development. Ludwig often marvels that if the characters didn't know what they were doing, then they must be brainless as shit. Wendy would chime in here and there with a random remark about the flow or pacing of the story; there was always playful teasing between the three that Talia now sorely missed. </p><p>Corpse thinks that he's been a slight bit biased towards Talia due to the circumstances as she talks through her memories. She's a lot less volatile and much more relaxed when there's not a life-threatening crisis hanging over her. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse, to the surprise of himself, had chipped in here and there about his experiences with Ludwig and Wendy as Talia talked; both of them recalled small moments and stories to each other about Ludwig's little habits, about the books they've seen Wendy reading, about their fleeting interactions with friends. </p><p>He ends up exchanging certain anime score recommendations and a promise to join Talia and Hippo for one of their Death Note anime binge sessions once they've all settled down and finished their reevaluation tests. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse's heart is a little less clouded when he leaves for the navigation deck after being caught in conversation for almost two hours. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em>"It's better to talk it out with people." </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>During the fifth hour after their arrival on MIRA HQ, Corpse finishes his current song. It's been oddly cathartic, how the process of finishing this one demo disk on his desk has helped somewhat assuage his rage of Ludwig's and Wendy's deaths. The lights in Corpse's room flicker and he can't help look at Ludwig's side of the room; his gaming and movie posters, the spare pair of sports shoes sticking out under his bed. </p><p>Corpse wonders how Wendy's side of her shared room looks like; his heart doesn't twinge as painfully as it did thinking about them when he first boarded Skeld after Polus. </p><p> </p><p>During the thirteenth hour back at MIRA HQ, part of Ludwig's ashes are placed on the shelves of crewmates who died on the line of duty. 5up is present at the ceremony, as part of his duty as captain of this crew.</p><p>5up holds out a folded piece of paper, explains to the holographic audience his small effort of remembering the people he's known, which is not part of his duty as captain. </p><p>Corpse remembers the words he wrote in his paper, the words 5up spoke when he had approached him just before ship launch and told him to write his last words with a sombre look on his face.</p><p>"If you don't live through this expedition, I hope I can honour your memory." </p><p> </p><p>Corporal Charles takes the piece of paper from 5up's hands. Ludwig's final words are simple and hold true to his personality. </p><p>"I'm inside all of you guys, so don't miss me too much." </p><p>The standard "thank you for your service!" that everyone says as they salute resounds through the PA system of the crematorium in response. </p><p> </p><p>Corpse hears Rae and Poki's tears freely rolling down their cheeks to his right, sees Toast is inclining his head in respect in front of him, spies 5up's eyes welling up imperceptibly at the front of the room. </p><p>Corpse doesn't have to look down to his left to know Sykkuno's hand is entwined with his own. </p><p> </p><p><em>'Goodbye, Ludwig.'</em> </p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>Every footfall Sykkuno now takes away from the crematorium is lighter than before; he guesses this is the effect that getting somewhat of a closure gives. </p><p>The cream envelope still weighs heavily in his spacesuit pocket as his hand brushes Corpse's in the hallway. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter will be the last one for these boys as of now :D))<br/>+<br/>Y'all will be making a decision soon next week for which Corpsekkuno work I'm going to be working on &amp; publishing first next :O</p><p>See you all for the ending and the choices &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>